


Hylian Nights

by CtrlAltSandwich



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Angst, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Fluff, M/M, OC, Platonic Relationships, Post-Calamity, Pre-Calamity, Selectively Mute Link, because its revalink what did you expect, but it makes sense trust me, i hope you're ready for a calamity chapter because im not, make that three calamity chapters, more tags will be added over time, pretty gosh darn canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-20
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-03 01:46:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 29,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12738531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CtrlAltSandwich/pseuds/CtrlAltSandwich
Summary: This is the story of a golden age, destroyed by an innocent demon.This is the story of a dim future, stolen from the jaws of a timeless evil.This is the story of a knight, wronged by fate.Of a girl, made to lead a doomed cause.Of a caring giant, content with the necessary evils that stole his life.Of a lost soul, who found purpose in the knight's struggle.Of an old friend, plagued by emotions that would never be vindicated.Of a warrior, given new purpose by the girl's dearly departed mother.Of a dying scholar, granted a proper chance at life by his ancestor.This is the story of the end, and of the beginning that followed.[New Chapters at the end of every month!] [RevaLink]





	1. On an Ocean of Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hi my name is Luc and im a revalink addict

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cw: anxiety attack, death mention, cremation mention
> 
> SHL stands for Sheikah Hand Language. [because ASL is just too mainstream]

More often than not, you’ll hear people talk about how the first impression is the most important. Only very rarely do several people hold the same initial impression on someone or something. Revali was one of those rare cases, where the impression could be summed up as such:

Ass.

Whether this impression stuck was more than often determined by a person’s sheer force of will, as Revali’s generally standoffish and dismissive attitude was difficult at the best of times. His sudden ascension to championship did not help his attitude in the slightest.

Despite any dramatization on Revali’s part, becoming a champion was an incredibly difficult process. One needed to display complete mastery of their race’s skills, as well as the rare ability to control the Divine Beasts. Even then, not every champion is selected willingly.

Yes, you have cases like Daruk, Mipha, and Urbosa, who worked day and night to become worthy representatives of their people in the looming war against Ganon, but there are also those who were forced out of their lives, and into an unwarranted conflict. Revali would have preferred to remain in Rito village, but becoming a champion was not surprising, due to his unique ability to create updrafts. Link and Zelda, however, would have led much better happier lives without the burden of championship.

Link never knew of his parentage, and there is no living creature in Hyrule that does. When he was but an infant, he had the responsibility of the Master Sword thrust upon him, the expectation of being a warrior god with it. Zelda would have much preferred scholarship, creating devices and machinery that would have eased people’s lives everywhere.

But, it was not to be.

So, when Link and Zelda were officially proclaimed the Princess and Warrior of legend to combat the ever-present threat of Ganon, they were tasked with travelling all throughout Hyrule to seek out a champion from each race, and to then visit the three springs of the goddesses Nayru, Din, and Farore, in order to awaken Zelda’s latent sealing power.

While traveling from Hyrule Castle to Zora’s Domain, then moving up Death Mountain towards Goron Village to meet Mipha and Daruk seemed like the easiest way to start their journey, Zelda’s tutor, Impa, insisted on starting their journey at Rito Village and ending with Zora’s Domain. She’d told them to consult with the Rito elder about the path, as King Rhoam had no knowledge of the detour.

Despite the confusion Link harbored, Zelda seemed confident, which was good enough for him. It took only three days for King Rhoam to greet Link, canonize him as the promised knight, and Zelda as the princess of light, and then drive the both of them off on a journey spanning the entire continent.

Our story begins with Revali.

Oddly enough, he’d received a letter. Of course, he was the pride of the Rito, an unparalleled archer, and a better singer than the most practiced hen, and not to forget his signature updraft creation, which put him miles above any other creature in combat with no exception. Or so he says whenever he decides to introduce himself to someone, but that’s another matter.

The letter bore the Hylian royal sigil, which was a rarity in Rito Village, needless to say. Two days after the princess and her knight had left the castle, the Rito Elder passed on the news of the letter to Revali.

The elder spoke with a calm yet unrelenting tone, almost as if his every word had the subtext “You can try to interrupt me but if you do I will not only ignore you but I will also make certain that you pay five times the normal rate for every service in the village, yes I know you’re a Rito but does it look like I care.” attached to it.

Revali made his way to the elder, detached from the flight range after several hours of practice. “I understand you have some fan mail for me? It’s about time that someone other than myself recognized my ability.”

The elder sighed deeply. “Normally I’d ignore everything you just said, but this is indeed fan mail, as you put it. And from the Hylian royals, at that.”

Revali made a show of being unimpressed, only raising a single eyebrow and looking slightly bemused, but the elder had raised him and knew that this was just Revali being, well, Revali.

“Well? What does it say? It wouldn’t do to keep such a highly esteemed member of the Rito in suspense, would it?”

Once again, the elder sighed. “Take it and read for yourself. The princess and her knight should be arriving on the morrow, so make yourself ready. I’ve a few matters to attend to, but I trust you’ll make a good first impression?”

Revali seemed a bit confused. The princess and her knight? Well, the letter should fill in the blanks.

“I’m offended. Dearly and truly. I am truly the finest example of the Rito as a people, thanks to my shining personality and devilish charm. I do not make 'impressions', I make memories. Well, do whatever it is you have to do, old man. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Settling in his roost for the evening, Revali went through his nightly routine of meticulously cleaning himself, and then let the blinds down to keep heat in. Honestly, feathers are all well and good, but being 200 feet above sea level in the coldest region of Hyrule begets a few more heating measures.

Afterwards, he sat at the barren desk in the corner of the roost, and carefully opened up the letter. Wouldn’t a royal envelope make for a wonderful heirloom? It’d certainly immortalize him in his family tree.

Savoring every word, Revali read through the entire letter in no hurry.

“Revali,”

Hold up. Did the royal family really think they were on a first name basis with him? Honestly, the nerve.

“Following the careful deliberation of the Hylian Royal Council,  
as well as that of the Rito Council of Elders,”

Revali frowned. This was extremely unusual. By no means were the Rito and the Hylians on bad terms, but the Rito maintained an isolationist stance politically. So why would they need to agree with the Hylians on, well, anything to do with Revali?

“We have come to the conclusion that you are in fact  
the most suitable candidate for the Rito Champion in the upco-”

Everything past “Champion” lost all meaning. The world started suddenly imploding and everything was moving too quickly. Champion? Please. Revali couldn’t even face up to his own personal doubts and fears. So how in the 17 stratums of purgatorium could he stand up to Ganon, the literal incarnation of all the world’s doubt and fear?

Now the roost felt too cold, and Revali felt too small. Yes, he was the best archer among the Rito, and he had taught himself how to make updrafts, which was no small feat. But there was a difference between hunting game and fighting Ganon’s minions. Frankly, the very thought of Ganon made him want to curl up into a ball and cry, but fighting it?

It brought him back to the day the elder told him about his parents. They’d died in an ambush set by some Wizzrobes. On the way back from the mountains, they were surrounded and frozen mid-flight. Their bodies were broken into so many pieces on the canyon floor that they couldn’t even be reassembled for cremation.

After three years of training, Revali had exterminated every Wizzrobe within 500 meters of Rito Village.  
Wait. Yes, all Revali had to do was draw on that aspect of himself. Disregard everything else about the whole championship deal, and focus on archery. If he could just perfect his take on Rito aerial combat, he could take down entire legions with nothing more than the Great Eagle Bow and some bomb arrows.

What was it the elder had said when he had these panic attacks? Rationalize it to the extreme? Yes, that’s right. Walk yourself through it Revali, you’re going to be fine. All you have to do is finish learning that last piece, and you’ll be fine. Fine.

After about 10 more minutes of gradually decreasing hyperventilation, Revali silently thanked the elder for his therapy sessions, and let the warm embrace of sleep overtake his being.

* * *

For all of Zelda's serenity, Storm, a royal horse that had been bred over six generations to be a fearless and gallant stallion, was utterly petrified. Even after a small (read: significant) amount of training from Link, she still had an aversion to going over particularly small bridges, which was, needless to say, quite an issue when approaching Rito Village.

Eventually, Zelda’s infinite patience ran dry, and she approached the village on foot, Link in tow, leaving Storm and Epona behind.

They were greeted with a notable lack of formality. No ceremony, no feast, nothing special aside from the occasional bow and “Goddess be with you.” Frankly, it was refreshing to get away from the overly grand celebrations that had been all too common around Castle Town over the past few days.

Only when they made their way up to the elder’s roost was their presence formally declared to all the denizens of Rito Village. Almost immediately after catching sight of the pair, the elder called for his attendant, Varia, to make an official announcement. Within moments, the lithe and swift owl Rito took to the skies and proclaimed in a sonorous cry: "Princess Zelda, daughter of Rhoam, has arrived with her chosen warrior in tow! Join me in singing praise of gracious Hylia!"

Frankly, Link had thought that the stories of Rito songstresses were greatly exaggerated, but the melody that drifted upwards from the village could only be described as heavenly. Despite the variance in pitch and intonation, the cries melded together in a fashion, unlike anything he'd ever heard, creating a single tune that seemed to reverberate with the blessing of the sky itself. Even Zelda, who had grown up to choirs singing her father's praise and the most skilled musicians that Hyrule had to offer playing the most exquisite pieces written by long-dead composers at grand balls, was left awe-struck by this showing.

After the Ballad of the Goddess came to its end, Varia flew back down to the elder's side, and the Rito went about their daily routines again. The elder stifled a laugh and turned to Varia.

"I believe I told you to let the _village_ know they'd arrived, not the Zora."

Turning such a bright red that even her feathers couldn't hide it, Varia sputtered. "Well, um, the uh... The Ballad is a, well, it's uh..."

Taking a deep breath and exhaling even deeper, she tried again. "TheBalladisaritereservedforthearrivalofHylianroyalsIapologizeforthevolume." Before placing a wing over her beak and turning a shade of red that seemed unhealthy.

Breaking into hearty laughter, the elder gave Varia a reassuring pat on the back.

"Now now, pay it no heed. It was a wonderful performance, Varia. You do your family proud."

Gesturing broadly towards Zelda and Link, the elder made his formal introductions.

"Greetings, daughter of Hylia, I am the elder of Rito Village, and this is my assistant Varia. She's shy when it comes to conversation, but remains as one of our best leaders and songstresses. I would very much like it if you would allow her to show you around our humble village before we discuss more important manners. After all, it is not every day we welcome such esteemed visitors."

Zelda bowed and responded.

"It is my pleasure, O elder. I am Zelda, daughter of Kind Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule, and this is my-" She cleared her throat. "This is Link, the bearer of the Blade that Seals the Darkness. Please excuse him for not speaking, as he communicates in an ancient language of hands, originally invented by the Sheikah of the Royal Guard."

Link signed _"Hello! My name is Link!"_ , which earned another laugh from the elder.

"Greetings, Link. Most of us Rito know SHL, so you should experience no issue in communicating. If you do, then Varia can interpret for you."

Zelda smiled before continuing. "We would be more than happy to tour the village, but we are rather pressed for time in gathering the champions, so we may not be able to stay for much longer than a day before heading to Gerudo Town."

The elder nodded and then told Varia to take them on a heavily abridged trip around the village.

Once they'd seen all that Rito Village had to offer, Varia had told them the elder would be ready to meet them at their earliest convenience and then headed back to the elder's roost.

Zelda and Link had waved as she left, and then Zelda motioned for Link to come with her to a small platform at the base of the village, which was devoid of any prying ears. Turning back to face Link, Zelda spoke with the usual scowl she wore when addressing him. "Alright, listen. I have a private matter to discuss with the elder, so I want you to go off and do something other than mindlessly follow me." Before Link could finish moving his hands to sign in protest, Zelda went on. "I very, very much doubt that an assassin will come for me as I speak, so don't even try that one. I want you to stay away from the elder's roost until I come and get you. This is an order, as the princess of Hyrule. Do you understand?"

Link pouted, but couldn't refuse a direct order, and nodded.

Zelda turned away from him. "Good. Then go and find something to do."

* * *

 

After she had disappeared from his line of sight, Link sighed and went to try and find something to do. He introduced himself to a little Rito that was following him, and then brought him back to his mother, earning some thanks and a few wildberries. However, he soon found himself with nothing else to do, even though it couldn't have been much later than four in the afternoon. Eventually, he decided to sit down on what must have been a landing for incoming Rito and tried to figure out why Zelda disliked him so intensely.

As per usual, he couldn't figure out any good reason and resigned himself to watching the horizon while the day crept slowly onwards. After about ten minutes, he'd fallen into daydreams, and time seemed to speed up.

Unfortunately, he was interrupted by a voice from behind. "So you're the valiant knight of legend? Odd, I can't seem to recall any tales about the Master Sword's wielder moping on a landing while his princess talks with a Rito elder."

Link turned to see who was speaking to him. Not out of rage, or embarrassment, but to ask them to repeat themselves, as he'd only heard about half of what they said, and was going to sign as much. When he stood up and turned around, he saw a somewhat short Rito with black plumage and white accentuations. Mind you, he was about as tall as Link, so height wasn't an issue.

Link began signing to the Rito. _"Hello, my name is Link. I'm accompanying Princess Zelda around Hyrule to gather the champions. What's your name?"_

Scoffing, the Rito replied. "I'd heard rumors that you spoke in hands, but I didn't believe them. You're awfully lucky that I'm fluent in SHL, you know? In any case, my name is Revali, and I'm one of those champions you're going around the continent to gather. The pleasure is yours, I'm sure."

Raising one eyebrow, Link signed: _"Really? I thought that the Rito champion would be a little bit taller, but your name checks out with what King Rhoam told us. You are right though, the pleasure is mine."_

Unfazed, Revali retorted "Yes, I suppose all you'd have to go off of is the King's word. After all, your position is the king's personal lapdog. Ever the example for the princess you are. Did you know that's probably why she doesn't like you? Well, I suppose you wouldn't, as the king didn't tell you."

Link was caught off guard. How did Revali know about Zelda's relationship with Link? Did he overhear their conversation, or are the rumor-mongers already at it? Before he could start signing, Revali answered for him. "Yes, I did hear your little conversation. And so did the guards at the front of the village. Honestly, did you think you could get some privacy in Rito Village when you can't even fly? It was constructed with the ancient Rito values of trust and honesty in mind, so everyone shares everything about their lives with each other. It's quite nice, maybe you should try it with Zelda sometimes."

Before Link could even digest what Revali had said, the Rito jumped off of the landing, created an updraft, and flew off with no more than a "Here's to our mutual dislike of each other, long may it last!" Once Link was left on his own again, he felt a few things. Anger was one. Well, it was mostly anger, really. But also there was a sort of sadness that he couldn't quite explain. It was almost like disappointment and self-hate had an ugly baby and forgot to name it. Frankly, Link knew that if he started walking around feeling like he was, he'd just do something he'd end up regretting, so he stayed on the landing. The horizon looked awfully nice when the sun started to set though.

* * *

 

Zelda, meanwhile, had made her way back to the elder's roost. Impa had told her to speak with the elder about their detour, as he'd explain everything that Zelda needed to know at the moment. Frankly, Zelda was more concerned with meeting the champion, but the elder had told her that she'd meet Revali on the morrow, as something had come up.

Just before the elder told Zelda that he'd arranged beds for her and Link, Zelda brought up the topic of Impa.

"Please excuse my rudeness, but my mentor, Impa, had told me that you knew of the changes to our route around Hyrule. Really, getting to Zora's Domain last is a tremendous risk to all of us, as we won't have a healer for quite some time still. Could you explain what Impa meant by sending us on such a roundabout path?"

The elder considered for a bit, and then let out an affirmative sound.

“I suppose that old hag has your best interests in mind after all.”

Zelda looked a bit offended, but the elder continued on. “Now now, Impa and I have a bit of a history, so it makes sense that she’d confide this in me. Never did like that Rhoam. In any case, she changed the route because you’re going to have to bring the champions over to Hateno Village once you’ve all met up.”

Zelda held up a finger, and the elder permitted her a question. “May I ask why? With all due respect, all Hateno Village has going for it is a bunch of washed-up smithies and salesmen. What could we possibly get from bringing all of the champions there before Hyrule Castle?”

The elder let out a booming laugh. “Rather crude, but I can’t disagree with your analysis of Hateno. Oh, the wildberry fell so very far from the bush, but I’ve no complaints!”

Once again, Zelda moved to interrupt, but the elder stopped her.

“Listen well now, what I’m about to tell you will only be said once. Do you understand?”

After Zelda nodded, the elder handed her a letter.

“As you’ll see there, that letter details why you’ll be going to Hateno. You are to bring all your allies there so you can meet with the Sheikah champion.”

Confusion.

“Is this a joke? There are only four Divine Beasts. Why in the name of the goddess would we need five pilots for four Beasts? What next, is there a hidden fifth? I’m sorry, but if you’re quite finished, then we’ll be going, I have no desire to keep the Gerudo or my father waiting.”

Zelda’s tirade rekindled the elder’s laughter.

“Once again, your assessment is both correct and amusing, daughter of Hylia! But tell me, do you think that the champions can fight using any old weapon? Perhaps the Master Sword is all you’ll really need? Surely you aren’t that naive. Of course, we Rito have the design for the Great Eagle Bow, one of the weapons wielded by our champion of lore, but we certainly do not have the capabilities to craft it. Repair it? Perhaps, but no weapon can be repaired after 10,000 years of wear and tear. No, crafting it from the ground up is another matter entirely.”

After absorbing the information, Zelda motioned for the elder to continue.

“Meet with the champion Enneve. He is the inheritor of the Sheikah’s 10,000-year-old gift, the only candidate who was able to withstand the ancient blessing without perishing. Bring with you the blueprints for the champions’ weapons, and he will make them. You will also find him to be a dependable ally, but that is all I can tell you.”

And the confusion was back.

“I don’t understand. Why are you telling me all this? Why couldn’t Impa? Why can’t my father know about this? I have too many questions, I just-” She pauses to calm herself. “I just don’t understand.”

The elder gave Zelda a pitying look, not dissimilar to the one she received from her mentors when she injured herself.

“Believe you me, I have no idea what Impa’s playing at, but if there’s one thing I do know, it’s that she will only act in the best interests of Hyrule. For the time being, rest here for the night, I’ll tell Gavia to prepare two beds for you and your knight.”

Zelda composed herself once more and stood up.

“Alright. Thank you for your guidance, O elder.”

After finding Link sulking on what must have been a landing for incoming Rito, she took him to the inn where they met Gavia and prepared to sleep, as she imagines they had both had quite the draining day. She feels bad for how she speaks to Link. He doesn't really deserve it, she knows, but it's hard to stay rational in the face of your mistakes, and it's even harder when that face doesn't respond.

Only later, did she find that Link and Revali had already met.

Only later, did she find out how that meeting went down.

Only later, did she find how long and painful the journey to Gerudo town was going to be.

Only later, did she decide that this Gerudo champion had better be mature enough to keep her company because if she isn’t then Ganon be damned she’d go insane on the spot.

Only later, did she silently pray for the sweet release of death because oh Hylia was Revali irritating and what she wouldn’t give for a good bow and some shock arrows.

Only significantly later, was she pleasantly surprised.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tfw you get botw and then ship sidlink and then get to rito village and oh god do i ship revalink so i go to ao3 and look for the ship and hey these are some pretty good fics i should write one but i don’t have an account oh well ill send an invitation request and then write the first chapter or two while i wait oh well the invitation requests are closed so i guess ill just die.
> 
> blease give me your feedback i wanna do this fic justice
> 
> [Also the names of the Rito were based on bird genera ok I'm lazy]


	2. Lo, an Angel They See

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which three desert-goers figure out why heat resistance elixirs exist

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oH YES
> 
> cw: combat, angst, fluff, few detailed scenes near the end of the combat section.

Mornings are a necessary evil.

However much Zelda may detest them and their freezing temperatures and how they break her away from the wonderful embrace of sleep and dreams, she accepted that she must rise and continue her pilgrimage across Hyrule. Even if the Rito down pillows were inordinately comfortable. Even if it was _far_ too cold for anything to possibly function at this unholy hour.

After rising, she gathered her clothes, which she deemed clean enough to wear for a second day. If there was one thing to say for Zelda, it was that she had a wonderful practicality that was notably absent in her father and ancestors. Her tomboyish nature and natural defiance eventually wore the king's patience thin enough that he'd allowed her to both reuse clothing (Provided it didn't stink of oil and wasn't discolored to a nice shade of greasy brown), and wear more civilian attire when in private. However, she'd still be required to attend formal events in her full royal garb, as was becoming of a princess. Needless to say, she agreed almost instantly, as this was one of the few times her father was willing to make a concession in her favor.

Now fully dressed, she left the inn, thanking Gavia for the free beds, before almost jumping out of her skin when Link, who had been sitting just outside of the large roost's entrance, stood bolt upright at an inhuman speed. Regaining her composure quickly, she gave Link a death stare that would make a Lynel jealous, before walking up towards the elder's domain. Sighing internally, she knew that giving Link an order to follow her was unnecessary, as he seemed to be surgically attached to her unless she specifically told him to leave her alone in no uncertain terms. Several times.

While questioning how one asks for permission to enter a roost, Zelda heard the elder's booming voice. "You may enter whenever you please, daughter of Hylia, us Rito have no qualms with strangers entering our roosts with good reason."

Ever so slightly embarrassed, the pair entered the elder's modest abode, only to notice that Varia had been replaced with a comparatively shorter Rito with black and white plumage. For some reason, this Rito and Link exchanged glares until the elder shot one of his own at the stranger. Turning his now softened gaze back towards the princess, he nodded deeply, perhaps his method of bowing, and began to speak.

"Greetings once more, daughter of Hylia. I shall not keep you long, as the journey to Gerudo Town is a lengthy one indeed, best made before nightfall. This is Revali, the champion of our people, as deemed worthy by the King of Hyrule and our own council. I do hope that his marksmanship and flight proficiency make up for his less than stellar personality."

Not once did the elder's friendly smile falter, even when the brunt of Revali's gaze was promptly redirected towards him. Turning away from his most recent offender, Revali offered up a dramatic sigh and placed one wing over his heart. "Please, ignore this old fool. As much as it pains me to say it, I do believe that he's gone senile in his old age."

Turning back towards Zelda and Link, Revali then continued where the elder left off. "In any case, I will travel alongside you, your grace, for the sake of both the Rito, and that of all Hyrule." Zelda nodded towards Revali, and then to the elder. "On behalf of Hyrule, and of its king, I thank you for your assistance in the eradication of Calamity Ganon, champion Revali of the Rito. It is my hope that we can secure the safety of our world in light of the impending disaster..."

Her speech went on for what seemed like an eternity, but she spoke it all word-for-word, as it was constructed by the scribes who served under her father. After all, he needed to keep up appearances through whatever means necessary, and to that end, his daughter was the perfect tool, as was often the case.

After all the introductions were complete and appearances kept up, the elder finally bade farewell to Zelda and her companions. "Please, do take care, daughter of Hylia. You will find your horses just outside of our village. We did try to bring them in front of the gate, but the white one was... _problematic_ when it came to the bridges. Rest assured that they received all the care that we could afford them."

Just as Zelda left the elder's roost and turned to follow her companions, Varia tapped her on the shoulder. "Um... these are..." She took a deep breath and looked Zelda dead in the eyes. "These are the specifications for the Great Eagle Bow. It contains a list of the necessary materials, as well as the preferred wood that makes up the bow's frame. On behalf of the Rito, I wish you great fortune, daughter of Hylia."

After giving an invariably impressive speech for someone of her constitution, Varia just about fainted, garnering an unsurprised look from a passing Rito, and a "She'll be fine" from another, which Varia confirmed with as much of a thumbs-up as she could manage. Zelda thanked her, and placed the envelope containing the designs into the satchel that she carried just about everywhere. Now running down to the entrance of Rito Village as well as she could manage, Zelda began figuring out how to greet the Gerudo Chieftess in a way that would make her father happy.

* * *

Revali's patience was remarkable when it came to hunting and, really anything involving archery. Unfortunately, the journey to Gerudo Town promised little target practice outside of the occasional Bokoblin camp. Now, Revali didn't _dislike_ flying for extended periods of time, but given present company, he knew that most of the journey would be spent looking out for potential threats from an aerial vantage point, which was a mundane task for an archer of Revali's caliber, to say the least. So, to fill the time that would otherwise be spent idly gliding alongside the princess, he decided to fly slightly above Link, who rode about 30 paces behind Zelda at the latter's insistence.

Needless to say, the previous experience that the two had shared didn't do much to raise Link's spirits at the sight of Revali, nor quell the rito's desire to spark another bout of silent drama. "So, Link, I can call you Link, right?" Link pretended (albeit very poorly) not to notice the object of his discontent that was flying over his head.

"Wonderful, I can feel us getting along well already. In any case, since we're going to be stuck with each other for the next-oh, let's say 7 hours-I figure that we should get to know each other a little bit more, no?" Of course, this proposition was far from genuine. Revali just figured that Link was too innocent to notice how this was obviously a trap that would lead into another mocking opportunity.

Gently letting go of Epona's reins, Link began to sign at a pace that even Revali had difficulty keeping up with. In all actuality, Revali couldn't keep up with the signing, but he'd never admit it. From what he saw, Link said: "Great Deku Tree. Taught me how to deal with people who tried to go through Lost Woods. People who wanted to steal from Korok Forest. Liars. I see what you are trying to do. You are like one of them." Before grabbing the reins once more and spurring Epona contentedly to match Zelda's increasing speed.

Had- had Link, someone who was raised by an actual tree, just seen through one of his traps? One of the traps that had caught countless classmates, rivals, and aspirants alike, all of whom were not, in fact, educated by a tree. Honestly, what a bloody nerve.

If there was one thing to be said for Revali, it was that he was a true pragmatist, and so he let Link have his victory for the time being, and then conjured another gale to replenish his dwindling height. Just as he was about to enter autopilot and let the blissful embrace of daydreams envelop himself, Revali noticed a pack of around 30 monsters, composed mostly of Lizalfos, but with a few Moblins and one-

Wizzrobe.

Any sense of rationality instantly disappeared from the Rito's mind, all replaced with a single, absolute directive: _Exterminate._ And exterminate he did, drawing five bomb arrows from the quiver strapped to his back, and entering the trance-like state that he did when shooting from above, carefully singling out the areas that would take the most damage when introduced to gunpowder and impact-sensitive ignition factor compressed into an arrowhead.

All Zelda and Link saw were four unsolicited explosions, followed by several singed corpses flying in just about every direction, before Revali flew in front of them, and let loose one final bomb arrow aimed solely at an Electric Wizzrobe, leaving nothing but a broken Lightning Rod behind. Once Storm and Epona were calmed down, Revali landed with no more than an "All clear," before taking off again, silently repeating to himself the vigil that motivated his mindless slaughtering of any and all Wizzrobes:

'Never again'.

* * *

Link's day had certainly been eventful. He'd woken up to Zelda giving him a death stare that made him genuinely fear for his life, then he'd found that, yes, the Rito he'd met yesterday really was just as bad as he'd thought, only for that same Rito to prevent an ambush in a manner that was: a) Timely and b) A concerning usage of bomb arrows against a group of probably poorly-armed Lizalfos and a single lesser Wizzrobe.

Aside from the alarming and sudden display of aerial superiority and/or homicidal tendencies, the three had made excellent progress on their journey, having arrived at the foot of the Digdogg Suspension Bridge with few other encounters, and the monsters that tried to attack the group were either shot down by Revali (Thankfully not with bomb arrows), or cleaved in half by the Master Sword's energy disks. Just as Revali had landed to walk over the bridge alongside the two, Epona reared suddenly, as they had just woken up a _very_ large Hinox that was tentatively minding its own business.

Revali cried out "Princess, get back to the cliffside, we'll deal with this, as much as it pains me to cooperate with this knight of yours," as Link sent Epona in the same direction as Zelda and Storm, dismounting and drawing the Master Sword. Revali crouched down, presumably preparing to conjure one of his gales, before dictating his plan to Link. "Listen up, treehugger, here's what's going to happen. I'll stagger it by shooting it in its eye, and you use that window of vulnerability to disarm it, if you catch my drift."

While Link couldn't quite tell if Revali had just tried to make a pun, he understood their plan of attack and _oh Hylia was that a tree._ Where did it get the tree from, and why was it so gods-damned fast? Unfortunately, their plan was already off to a rocky start, as Revali didn't account for a tree nearly hitting him when trying to summon a gale. "Alright, it seems that I _won't_ be getting that aerial view after all. Well, what are you doing?! Get its attention so I can _shoot_ the damn thing!"

Link chided himself: _Of course that's the new plan. Let's not forget who we're working with here, after all._ But then got to work, first using the Master Sword's second functionality to fire an energy disc at the Hinox's eye. While it was unable to stagger the monster due to it not being tangible, it certainly got its attention, rewarding Link with another narrowly avoided tree-strike. Suddenly, while Link was still recovering from the roll he used to avoid the tree, he heard the Hinox cry out in pain, and fall down as it tried to pluck the arrow from its eye.

Such an opportunity was not put to waste, as Link ran up to the creature's legs and began to hack away at them both, before jumping onto its body and landing two well-placed strikes on its tree arm, just as the Hinox pulled the arrow out of its eye and began to stand up again, now using its weakened arm to cover its eye, as it picked the tree back up again. Revali, meanwhile, used this brief respite to successfully take to the skies, but was unable to get an angle that would allow him to hit the eye, so he instead squawked instructions at Link while firing just about every kind of arrow imaginable at the Hinox to little effect. "The legs! Sever its damn tendons so it falls over again!"

 _Oh, sure, I'll just run behind it, cut through its skin, which, by the way, is about as durable as the armor that Hylian Knights wear, and then hope that I hit a tendon. Great plan, completely infallible._  Link thought to himself. Unfortunately, he didn't exactly have much of a choice, so, after dodging a haphazard tree swing, he ran behind the Hinox and began to hack at its legs, while Revali continued to pelt its bad arm with Shock and Bomb arrows. Eventually, after about three more cycles of dodging the tree as the Hinox rotated on its own axis and slashing madly at the callused skin of the monster, the Master Sword struck true, and the Hinox fell down as its left leg gave out, muscles collapsing as they were left flimsy and unsupported.

Now vulnerable and with its eye exposed, Link climbed up onto the beast's chest, and stabbed it square in the pupil as Revali shot three arrows that simultaneously found their mark in the Hinox's eye, and like that it gave one final cry before passing on. Revali landed next to Link and gave the princess an exaggerated bow, before turning to Link. "Well, I must say, for all your inabilities to construct a winning plan on your own, you do follow directions quite well, and as much as I hate to say it, you aren't  _terrible_ , per se."

Link beamed at Revali, causing the Rito to take off in a huff as the Zelda and the horses made their way over the bridge, avoiding the rapidly decomposing corpse of the Hinox. Of course, Zelda didn't so much as acknowledge Link, but Epona, trusty as ever, gave him a congratulatory nuzzle, which earned her one of the sugar cubes that he'd bought from the shopkeeper in Rito Village. Once Epona finished, Link re-mounted and maintained the gap that Zelda had instructed him to keep at all times, with it never being any less than 30 paces under any circumstances. 

* * *

And so they continued on, through the steadily increasing heat and the scant encounters with more Bokoblins. Until finally, after what felt like an eternity of traversing along the same beaten path, the three had come to the Gerudo Canyon Stable, where the Rito elder advised them to leave Epona and Storm, as horses had never fared well in a desert environment.

While Link and Zelda were signing off all the required papers to board their horses, Revali had procured three Winterwing Butterflies from a traveling merchant, which he used to create some heat resistance elixirs. Unfortunately, due to the lack of higher quality ingredients, they wouldn't last for more than around two hours, giving them a very slim window of opportunity to cross the desert by foot. Taking some bottles that he'd brought along in a small satchel, Revali gave one elixir to Zelda, and then another to Link (Albeit begrudgingly).

They downed every last drop of their bottles, and then stepped into the scorching desert, which was made bearable, but not exactly comfortable in any capacity. Zelda turned to Link. "I suppose that thanks are in order for your earlier service. You don't have to maintain your distance for this stretch of our journey. Consider it a reward, if you will."

Needless to say, this sudden break in character gave Link a reason to smile at Zelda, which caused her to promptly turn back to the path, or lack thereof, ahead of them. Eventually, after a grueling walk, or flight, in Revali's case, the trio found themselves in the Kara Kara Bazaar, where they were greeted by a number of Gerudo keeping watch over any potentially suspicious activity, and many others trading their indigenous goods at a fair price.

Revali landed, panting, which garnered him a curious look from the other two. "Heat rises, you know. Even with the _*pant*_ heat resistance elixir, _*pant*_ it was ridiculously hot up there."

Zelda tried very hard to conceal her laughter, but failed, with Link following suit. Revali scowled at the pair as best as he could, and then managed to catch his breath.Then he went off to try and find some ingredients that would hopefully make a more potent elixir, as they were only about halfway to Gerudo Town, and the sun hadn't quite set yet.

After procuring some more butterflies, as well as a better base for the elixir to settle upon, Revali, Link, and Zelda all downed another bottle, and began the final stretch of their long journey. However, the elixirs turned out to be relatively useless, as the sun had started to set at long last, gradually turning the desert from a burning hot wasteland into a seemingly endless ice chest.

Thankfully, they didn't have much to go, and Gerudo Town seemed to have a bustling nightlife, which promised an inn with a bed and actual temperature regulation. Misfortunately, the guards at the entrance to the town thought otherwise. "Only the vai is to be allowed past this point. Even if you are champions of Hyrule, you will respect our laws. Should you fail to do so, you will be punished under them."

Nothing would change their minds, not a trial by combat, nor bribery, nor attempting to fly into the town. From what Revali could see from an aerial viewpoint, there were really no males, or 'voe' inside of the town, aside from potentially some Gorons, as the females were indistinguishable from the males in _almost_ every way. Needless to say, Zelda was overjoyed at the idea of being free from Link and Revali, not even bothering to say more than "Take care, I'll be out with the champion on the morrow."

Just like that, the other two were given a tent to sleep in, just next to the shrine outside of the town. Frankly, the worst part was that this wasn't customary, but only because Princess Zelda herself travelled alongside the two. So, after trying just about everything short of incurring severe bodily harm by challenging the entire Gerudo guard to combat, Link and Revali retired to the admittedly nice tent, where an uncomfortable silence followed.

Well, for Link, it was just silence, but Revali had grown up around the constant bustling of Rito Village, where one could hear the town breathing constantly, even at night. Gerudo Town's happenings, however, were kept hidden thanks to the stone walls that circled it. Eventually Revali broke. "So. What's the deal with you and the princess?" 

Link shot him a questioning look, and began to sign at a much more manageable pace. " _You seemed to know just about everything there was to know when we first met. Why ask again?_ " 

Revali sighed deeply and laid down. "Of course I knew that much, it's not exactly hard to figure out if you have two brain cells to rub together. Zelda's under an unthinkable amount of pressure, and her father seems to like  _you_ more than her. It's just, well, I'd always imagined that the knight and princess of legend would be more lovey-dovey, no?"

Varia would have been jealous if she saw how red Link's face turned. Once his hands stopped shaking, he began to sign. " _Well, at first, she may have been interested, but I don't_ ," Link paused, and tried to think of how to phrase what came next. " _I don't swing that way?_ " Oh.  _OH._

Revali got up again, turning himself towards Link. "Well, that certainly complicates things, doesn't it? I can't say that I don't empathize though, I've had to turn down my fair share of hens as well. Apologies if I forced that out of you, I know full well how... _difficult_ that can be at times." After comprehending what Revali had just admitted, Link looked at him, wide-eyed. "Don't get any ideas, treehugger, we have something in common, yes, but I still dislike you immensely."

After all the insults and disinterest, Link signed but one thing back at Revali, beaming all the while: " _You said that I wasn't terrible._ " Which caused Revali to huff, lay back down, and mutter. "I suppose I did."

* * *

Eventually, sleep took them both, and morning came. Unfortunately, since they were very much still in a desert, when the sun rose, it brought forth a sudden and unwanted change in temperature, which woke the entire town up in due time. As Revali and Link didn't have a stone roof over their heads, they were woken up much earlier, after which, they waited outside of the town gate, since the Gerudo who were guarding the town from any invariably evil and hostile voe were indeed still there.

After another hour or two passed, Zelda and a very tall Gerudo who looked like she could take a Goron in a fight and win with no weapons or assistance walked through the gate, nodding once at each of the guards. Surprisingly, Zelda was carrying two bowls of simmered fruit, which Link and Revali had initially assumed to be for her and the Gerudo, only for her to hand a bowl to each, with a startlingly neutral expression on her face. Suddenly, the Gerudo burst into booming laughter, and Zelda seemed entirely unamused. "Link, Revali, the woman currently having a fit is Urbosa, the Gerudo chieftess and champion, as well as a dear friend of my mother."

Urbosa motioned to continue with one hand, clutching her side with the other. Zelda's scowl grew deeper still as she began to speak robotically. "I apologize for leaving the two of you out here last night. If I had told Urbosa that you were my companions, accommodations could have been arranged _inside_ of Gerudo Town. Please accept this breakfast as my apology for what I put the two of you through."

Meanwhile, Urbosa had fallen to the ground, and was getting up, speaking in a voice tinged with laughter. "Oh, if only your mother could have seen this. To think, that _I'd_ be teaching you how to behave." More laughter, followed by an eventual regaining of composure. "Well, as you heard, I'm Urbosa, the Gerudo champion. In my absence, my sister will attend to my duties as chieftess, so if you ever need help from a Gerudo, just give them your name and you should be golden."

Link began to sign. " _Hello! My name is Link, and I'm the wielder of the Master Sword! It's a pleasure to meet another champion!_ "

Revali then introduced himself. "I am Revali, champion of the Rito, and the best archer in all of Hyrule. The pleasure is yours, I'm sure."

Urbosa began to laugh again. "Oh, that is  _precious_! I like you, down-for-brains. You, on the other hand, Link, need to work on your introductions. Be more assertive. That is quite the sword after all. Well, eat up, I've stocked up on some heat resistance elixirs for you lot, and Zelda managed to make some fireproof potions." Revali raised an eyebrow as Urbosa. "It's hot, but we don't need fireproof potions for the desert, unless there's something you aren't telling us."

Zelda sighed deeply, as another difficult journey awaited them over the next two days. "We need the fireproof potions for the later part of this journey. We're going to Death Mountain, which isn't exactly known for its temperate climate. I sincerely hope you aren't attached to any of your flammable belongings, because the air in Goron City is hot enough to set fire to paper within seconds."

With the laughter dying down, the four travelers began their journey to Death Mountain, bellies full and hearts brimming with excitement. Except for Zelda. 

She thought she might genuinely go insane if Urbosa tried to subjugate her with one more of her "Motherly Moments". 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> o/
> 
> Thanks for all your support on the first chapter, it really does make me want to continue this fic! :w: Next chapter may be a few days late cause of some personal stuff I need to attend to, and probably the chapter after that too. [thanks for your understanding i'll try and get them out as fast as i can *o*]
> 
> please leave feedback i promise i'll reply
> 
> also sorry about the update gap aaaA


	3. Antiquity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which one very meticulously-crafted plan goes awry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cw: Blood, combat, political scumbaggery

You'd have thought that having the self-proclaimed 'Desert Queen' along for a stroll through the desert would make things easier. Unfortunately, Desert Queen or no, Gerudo Desert was still very much Gerudo Desert, an enormous, sandy, largely uninhabitable wasteland that was at times blazing hot, and at others, impossibly cold. However, Zelda's concoctions proved their worth, even if Revali refused to admit as much, claiming that his "Went down smoother".

At Urbosa's insistence, they stopped at the Bazaar for a while. She motioned to Zelda, who followed her to the inn, leaving the other two behind. After no more than five minutes, they returned, and Zelda was stuffing a large envelope into her bag.

Link raised an eyebrow. _'I saw the Rito elder give you something that looked exactly like that. What is it?'_

"I'll explain once we're out of the desert." Zelda said, turning away from Link.

So, on they went, making their way through what was left of the desert and arriving at the stable just before noon. After buying some food and drink from a vendor who was set up outside of the building, Zelda and Link went up to the clerk and signed off all the necessary papers. Epona and Storm came out from the back, led by a stablehand who looked absolutely petrified.

"Th-th-the b-brown one, sh-she b-b-bites _v-very_ hard."

Link sighed internally. Of course. Epona was a horse that had somehow made her way into the Lost Woods as a colt, and she'd always been very hostile to strangers. If anyone other than him had tried to ride her, it would have been a slaughter.

Taking the reins and saddle from the quivering stablehand, Link began to prepare Epona for the trip to Death Mountain. Zelda, on the other hand, was all mounted and ready to ride until Urbosa chimed in. "Oh no, no, _no_. You are not making me walk halfway across Hyrule in a day. Move up, we're riding together."

"Lady Urbosa, please-"

"Save the formalities for when we're in front of the king, little bird. Now make room."

Zelda pinched the bridge of her nose. "Why not ride with Link? Epona is more than capable of carrying two people, and I'm sure that he'd be more than happy to let you ride with him."

"If the pride and joy of the royal family's stock is incapable of carrying two vai, then Hylia help us all. I'm riding with you until we get to the next stable, and that's that."

Resigning herself to Urbosa's stubbornness, Zelda sighed deeply and made space for the Gerudo who had planted herself firmly on Storm's back. Thankfully, the princess hadn't noticed Link's poorly hidden laughter, otherwise, the knight of legend might have been lost before Ganon ever returned.

* * *

 

Once Revali had restocked his quiver and Link mounted up, the party departed for Death Mountain. Their plan was to reach the Foothill Stable by the end of the day, rest there, and then proceed up the mountain on foot, where they would meet with Daruk before setting out for Zora's Domain the next day. Luckily enough, they would mostly be going through territory under the watch of the Royal Guard, meaning that they wouldn't have to worry about any monsters until they started climbing.

Needing to take her mind off of her self-proclaimed "Auntie Urbosa", Zelda motioned for Revali to drop down to a height within earshot.

"Right, I said I'd explain, and Urbosa-"

"Call me Auntie, little bird."

"I refuse on a moral basis."

Urbosa snorted and would have lapsed into one of her laughing fits if not for Zelda's patented death stare.

"This _woman_ encouraged me to stop keeping secrets from you two. Now, if at any point you need me to explain something again, I'd be more than happy to elaborate. It's not exactly an easy topic to follow."

Revali scoffed. "Oh? You doubt my intelligence? Why would that be?"

"Most likely because the political relationships between the various races of Hyrule can become very difficult to follow, very quickly," Zelda explained, as the Rito visibly blanched.

Zelda produced two letters from her bag, one sealed by a ruby and lined with gold, and another sealed by an arrow emblem. "This letter contains the specifications for the Great Eagle Bow, as you can tell by the seal. This one has the same information, but for the Scimitar of the Seven and the Daybreaker instead."

She placed the letters back in her satchel. "Once we meet up with Daruk, he'll give me another with the design for the Boulder Breaker, and Mipha has one for the Lightscale Trident. After we have all of them, there's someone in Hateno Village who should be able to assemble the weapons, but that's all I really know right now."

"So? I still don't understand why you so desperately needed to keep this a secret to us. Expecting weapons that aren't blessed by a divine being to last 100 years, much less 10,000, is simply absurd. And by the by, this has nothing to do with politics." Revali retorted, his usual swagger and snark restored.

"I could tell you how it's related if you'd _let me finish_." Zelda said with a threatening smile.

Revali huffed and motioned for her to continue.

"Ever since the threat of the Calamity made itself apparent, my father has... changed. He's become obsessed with power, which is why he dispatched the Royal Guard all over Hyrule. I'm almost certain that his goal is to take over the entire continent after the Calamity is dealt with. The only reason he's biding his time is because of the weapons."

Zelda paused, allowing the group to take in what had just been said. Link was the first to respond. _'But that doesn't make sense on two accounts. First, the crown has always been willing to let the Sheikah manage themselves. I suspected that he didn't like the four tribes, but it doesn't make sense that he'd want to end their autonomies. Second, the weapons are already broken, so what's stopping him from invading?'_

The princess took a moment to reflect. "You see, he has no idea that the weapons broke long ago. Rather, nobody in the court is either insane or devout enough to tell him that they've been broken for several millennia. And he certainly doesn't know about the Sheikah in Hateno. After helping with the reconstruction of Kakariko Village following a catastrophic Yiga attack some 30 years ago, he's believed that every Shiekah owes him a life debt."

She took a deep breath. "But at some point that belief morphed into a hatred of their kind. He sees them as living on borrowed time - his time- and only has two of them in his court, down from the fifty-odd my grandfather did."

Urbosa raised her hand. "Hold on. I know about Impa being your mentor and the representative of the Sheikah, but who's the second?"

Zelda beamed with professorial pride. "Good question. Her name is Ima, and she holds the position of Grand Artificer. She's the one responsible for getting the Guardians working again, and before anyone asks, no, she is not the same person as Impa and yes, I have seen them both in a room at the same time."

"If she's so important, why has nobody seen or heard of her? I would say with great confidence that I'm the closest non-Hylian to the royal family, but this is news to me." Urbosa, clearly nonplussed, now had her arms crossed.

"As I said earlier, my father despises the Sheikah. Very few people outside of Kakariko Village know of either Impa or Ima's existence, all due to my father's keeping them in the shadows." Zelda's face became contorted with disgust. "Exactly where they belong, he says."

For a few fleeting moments, they rode in silence. Revali broke it. "Then why do you feel so obliged to represent him as you do? Our elder certainly doesn't think too highly of him, and I'd be more than willing to bet that Urbosa feels much the same. What's the point?"

Link cleared his throat to draw the group's attention. _'Since he has authority over both the Knight and Princess of legend, he thinks that all the power in Hyrule belongs to him. Cut ties with many non-Hylian diplomats, and completely excluded the Gorons. Claims that it's royal duty to spread the influence of the crown.'_

Urbosa was steaming. "Royal duty my brown arse. He's too gods-damned full of himself. If he so much as tries anything once Ganon's sealed away, I'm letting Vah Naboris take another shot, straight at the castle's sanctum."

* * *

 

At last, they came to Hyrule Field.

There was a gentle breeze blowing through the plains, carrying wistful leaves and petals that were proof of spring's coming. Long grass waved about listlessly while egrets bathed in shallow ponds and foxes ran through the open field. If there was one place where all the beauty of Hyrule could be expressed, it was here.

At least, it would have been if there wasn't a limping Sheikah covered in blood and a strange blue liquid directly in front of them.

Zelda and Urbosa sped up to reach the injured traveler while Link and Revali prepared to fight whatever it was that inflicted the wounds. They made it to the Sheikah just before he fell over. Urbosa dismounted and hauled him onto Storm's back.

"Are you alright? What's your name? How did you get those wounds?"

Turning his head to face Zelda, the Sheikah replied in a feminine voice. "Do I look alright? Granted most of the blood isn't mine, but still, have some common sense. As for how I got these, well, you'll see in about... Wait, never mind, they're here."

Urbosa turned around with almost unnatural speed, parrying a strike from a Yiga Swordmaster that had just appeared. "Yiga. I should have known that you'd be following us."

Moving with the speed and ferocity of a sandstorm, Urbosa sliced through the Yiga's armor, leaving a gash that spanned the length of his chest. However, the Yiga did not so much as flinch as he raised his Windslicer to cleave the Gerudo in two. Unfortunately for him, Urbosa used the momentum from her previous attack to strike his leg, severing it with one graceful slash. Before he could even register that he was one limb down, an arrow found its target in the back of his head, killing him instantly.

Just as his longsword clattered to the ground, four bow-wielding footsoldiers appeared around Zelda. Link ran to face the soldiers, but it was clear that he wouldn't make it in time. Even Revali wouldn't have been able to shoot all the Yiga down before they could get a shot or two on the princess.

Urbosa's scimitar and shield hit the ground with a clang as she held her right arm in front of her. "Right, I'm just about sick of these cultists."

_**Snap.** _

At Urbosa's command, four bolts of lightning descended from a cloudless sky, striking the Yiga down with superheated divine fury and reducing their bows to piles of ash in an instant. Link and Revali looked positively horrified, and the poor Sheikah had fallen off of the saddle. Zelda, on the other hand, was completely indifferent.

"Well, it certainly took you long enough. I could have been in danger, you know."

Retrieving her weapons, the Gerudo gave a bark of laughter. "Oh, please. You and I both know how bad those grunts are at doing their job. The only one in any real danger was the ground. I'd wager that they couldn't even hit your horse if they tried."

The princess almost laughed before turning to face Link. "Well, what are you doing? Our friend here isn't going to get on the saddle himself, he's practically bleeding dry."

In response the Sheikah stood up, brushing the dirt off of his white combat garb before speaking in a more masculine voice. "I assume that there's someone behind me. Would you mind telling me where we are and what time it is? I've been asleep for a little while now."

Total silence.

He now turned to face the princess and her champions, pulling off the cloth keeping his serene face and black hair concealed. "Ah," His eyes widened as he realized whose presence he was in.

Urbosa was the first to react. "You stand in the presence of Princess Zelda and her chosen guardians. Show the appropriate respect or-"

Her words were lost on the Sheikah who was mumbling furiously to himself, biting his thumb all the while. Eventually he looked up at the champions as though they were an incredible inconvenience. "Right, I didn't hear anything past Zelda and I won't listen if you repeat yourself. I hope you lot realize how much planning went to waste because you just  _had_ to come into contact with me now. If you want an explanation, then we'll talk at the stable. Feel free to ride ahead, I need to figure out how to salvage this bleeding mess. I'll be there before you, in any case."

Just as Urbosa readied herself to slap him into the next calamity, he tapped a small stone embedded into his chestpiece, causing him to turn into hundreds of blue strands of light that flew upwards with a soft hum. "My dearest little bird, when we reach the stable, promise me that you'll keep me from reopening all of those wounds that you healed, and then some."

Zelda pursed her lips. "That's just the thing. I'm afraid that I didn't heal any of his wounds," She looked at her hands with incomprehensible disappointment. "Or rather, I don't have the ability to heal in the first place."

Link winced while signing to Urbosa.  _'Bad subject, difficulty communing with goddess since being recognized as the Princess of Legend.'_

Revali made his presence known. "Hi, I don't think any of you noticed, but that Sheikah just brushed us all off without a second thought. For once, I agree with lightning-woman here. We're about an hour's ride away from the stable and the day isn't growing any younger. Enough self-pity for now, you can take it out on that overblown bootleg ninja later."

Urbosa was going to say something to comfort Zelda, but 'overblown bootleg ninja' proved to be too much for her. If it was anyone else, the princess would have immediately called for medical assistance, because the poor Gerudo was wheezing so much that it seemed like she'd asphyxiate before she calmed down. 

Zelda smiled in spite of herself, and the group began to ride once Urbosa saddled up again.

* * *

 

After a significantly easier ride through the field, they came to the Foothill Stable just as the sun was setting. While Link was boarding Epona and Storm for the evening, the others looked around for the Sheikah, but could find no trace of him. That is, until the clerk had finished making sure everything was in order with the boarding papers.

"Oh, some curious fellow in a lab coat came around a while ago. He didn't board a horse or anything, but he told me to inform anyone by the name of 'Link, Zelda, Revali, Urbosa, or all of the above' that he'd be waiting around the back for you. Thanks for your patronage, in any case."

Link thanked the clerk and gathered his fellow champions and the princess before telling them what he'd been told. Urbosa made a show of handing her scimitar and shield to Zelda for "the Sheikah's safety" before they went around to the back of the building, where they saw the man himself, dressed in a clean lab coat that was free of any bloodstains.

In all fairness, he wasn't too bad looking. He wasn't handsome like Link, nor was he regal like members of the Hylian Council. His hair was short and black, turning into a light blue at the tips; a stark contrast to the white-gray of most other Sheikah. His face was serene and almost feminine, and his eyes were a blue that seemed to constantly shift. Link was almost jealous of how nice the Sheikah's hair was, falling unevenly at the sides and back, but in a way that complimented his effeminate beauty.

So moved by his beauty Urbosa was, that she grabbed the Sheikah by his hair and yanked him up from where he was sitting and reading. "Well, hello there Mr. Sheikah! It's so _wonderful_ to see you again."

He fell to the ground as Urbosa let go of his hair. "Actually it isn't wonderful to see you again. You made me lose my page." He deadpanned.

"You'll live. Now give us the explanation you said you would."

He looked towards the other champions. "Why, good evening to you and your companions too. I haven't had the pleasure of meeting anybody," He looked back to Urbosa. "Aside from you, Desert Queen."

His voice was distinctly masculine, much different from when Zelda and Urbosa had first heard him speak. That aside, he had no distinct accent, and spoke quickly while enunciating every syllable much like a lecturer would. 

Revali spoke up. "How about you introduce yourself first? I think we're all getting a bit tired of calling you 'The Sheikah', or as Urbosa prefers, 'That arrogant prick'."

'That arrogant prick' placed one of his hands on his chest in an "I'm hurt" gesture. "Well, I suppose it'd only be proper to fully introduce myself, as well as  _myself,_ " A small, red orb materialized next to his head. "I'll go first. I am the reiteration of the monk Maz Koshia, and the inheritor of the Sheikah's ancient blessing, Enneve. Once upon a time I was a scientist who focused on studying the Guardians, but that all changed when the Calamity started rearing its ugly head."

Before anyone could respond, the red orb began glowing rhythmically.  _"I think that this should work. If anyone aside from Enn here can hear me, please say something."_   It was the voice that Enneve had spoken in earlier, but they couldn't hear it, per se. Instead, it was being projected directly into their minds.

Zelda's eyes widened. "How are you doing that? Where's your physical form?"

_"I think the easiest way to describe it is spiritual projection. My physical body is hidden away in a shrine, but my mind and soul are here and speaking to you. Before I begin, are there any other questions?"_

Link stepped forward.  _'You say your body is hidden away in a shrine, but I've heard you in the castle before. Not through projection, but as if you were speaking through a physical body. How is that possible?'_

_"That'll make sense in just a moment. I am the original monk Maz Koshia of 10,000 years past, the creator of the Sheikah's blessing, as well as one of the designers for the first Guardians. You can call me Ima. Because I am both alive and reincarnated by divine will, Enn refuses to call himself my reincarnation."_

Enneve looked at Ima's projection. "I refuse because it doesn't make sense. Reincarnation requires a soul to be reborn in another body. Since your soul is intact, I can't be a perfect reincarnation, meaning that my soul is more of a carbon copy."

_"I thought we settled this matter last week. Our souls are the same, but our personalities are different. Physical differences are also a given because of the nature of-"_

Zelda and her champions watched with a mixture of confusion and amusement as the two Maz Koshias debated the nature of their existence. Talking to yourself is one thing, but talking to yourself about another version of yourself? 

Eventually Urbosa had enough. She cleared her throat to stop the argument. "You two can finish this later. I'll put my trust in Ima since my little bird here speaks so highly of her, but I refuse to work with Enneve."

Both monks responded at the same time. "We come as a package, unfortunately."

Ima continued. _"Since my body isn't fit for anything more than one more fight, I have to borrow Enn's. Since our souls are identical, we can exchange control of this body at will. Enn_   _has more control over the body, of course, but I can't just follow you lot as a mind and soul."_

"Also, might I ask why you don't trust me? I hold no loyalty towards the current king, and only act in the best interests of this world. My only condition is the eradication of any Yiga we come across." Enneve finished.

Urbosa sighed. "Fine, I suppose trust isn't the issue here. However, you're just a scientist-turned-monk. Take those Yiga from earlier, they looked more than able to kill you, and they're the least of our worries. What would happen if you were kidnapped or held hostage? You'd just be a liability."

Ima's projection glowed brightly.  _"You've said something that you_ really  _shouldn't have. I take no responsibility for what happens next."_

With that, Ima faded away, and Enneve looked at Urbosa with unfiltered comtempt.

"Hey, Desert Queen. I know you Gerudo are fans of trials by combat. Would you care to test me?" Enneve spoke slowly and deliberately. 

The Gerudo gave a hearty laugh. "Please, I've bested an entire squadron of Yiga with nothing more than my scimitar. You pose no threat."

Enneve gave a twisted smile. "I challenge you under Gerudo law. As Cheiftess, you are unable to refuse, but may name the conditions."

Urbosa eyed the monk warily. "We will fight to first blood. Each of us will fight with no more than a sword. I give my word that none of my comrades will intervene, under the assumption that yours will follow suit." 

Ima's orb reappeared. _"I give my word. Before we begin, I feel that it would only be fair to explain Enn's abilities, since he knows yours. The blessing grants both myself and Enn the ability to use any weapon we wield to its fullest extent, even if we've just acquired the weapon, or if the weapon is otherwise unusable. Enn's other ability allows his body to match the speed of his thoughts, at the expense of exhaustion based on how long it's active."_

Link, Revali, and Zelda watched this chain of events with varying degrees of disbelief. Before either of her champions could intervene, Zelda gestured for them to move away from Urbosa and Enneve. Once they were a safe distance away, she explained the situation. "Enneve's just challenged Urbosa under Gerudo law. Normally, this would only occur if he wanted to enter Gerudo Town, but nobody's insane enough to challenge her for entry. This isn't just about her anymore, it's about Gerudo principles."

Zelda gasped suddenly. "Wait, that projection said her name was Ima? And she's a Sheikah monk?"

Revali looked at Zelda with a great deal of confusion. "You're only just now realizing this? You asked her a question before even processing who she was? There's no way you're being serious right now."

"T-that's irrelevant for now. They're about to begin." The princess was flushed with embarrassment.

* * *

 

They stood twenty paces away from each other, each armed with no more than a standard broadsword. Before they began, both of the combatants bowed to each other.

"I acknowledge your bravery and knowledge of our culture, challenger. However, you will not find me to be like any other Gerudo you may have faced." Urbosa said, voice booming across the plains.

Enneve responded. "I, in turn, acknowledge your duty and willingness to meet my challenge, given the circumstances. Unfortunately, you made a grave mistake in questioning my ability to defend both Hyrule and myself. As such, I will show you the error of your ways."

Both of them stood upright.

"In the name of Nabooru, first among the hero-Cheiftesses, I will not waver."

"Oh, very threatening. Solid 6.5/10 for intimidation. In any case," The monk's eyes went from blue to a bright yellow. "I am the monk Maz Koshia. In the name of the Goddess Hylia, I offer you this sacred trial."

Urbosa was the first to move, dashing across the field with alarming speed. As she reached Enneve, she jumped, whirling in the air to deliver an overhead blow that should have been unavoidable. When she landed and her blade found nothing but the ground, she rolled to the left in order to regain her bearing and avoid any possible attack. She got up to find that Enneve was now standing where she was at the start of the duel.

Suddenly, he disappeared. Within a fraction of a second, he swung at her from behind, a strike that Urbosa just barely parried. "Gods above, what  _are_ you?"

Looking at the Gerudo with his golden eyes, he replied. "I'm behind you."

Her eyes widened as she turned to bat away another attack, this one weaker than the last. He was knocked away and stumbled back a few feet. She laughed triumphantly. "All that speed will gain you nothing if it tires you out so quickly. It's no wonder that you couldn't hold your own against some measly Yiga."

Enneve laughed maniacally. "Did you really think that I'd intended to win with that attack? When I'd told you where I was attacking? I'm not some third-rate villain from a fantasy story. That was just testing the waters. And now that I've figured out your movement patterns-" He disappeared again.

She blocked attack after attack. One strike, three strikes, ten. At one point, she almost managed to hit him, but he'd somehow managed to dodge. Then he simply stopped. Urbosa took this opportunity to hold her sword behind her and call upon the Goddesses for aid. Within an instant, the broadsword's steel became electrified, lightning ready to be unleashed.

Then something truly bizarre happened. There were now several Enneves standing before her; each in a different position, all ready to attack. She swung in a broad arc in front of her, sending the electricity stored within the sword hurtling at the enemy in front of her. Just as they were hit, they all disappeared. She realized one moment too late that she'd made a mistake.

Steel met flesh, and Enneve struck. Urbosa was ready to be maimed in the extreme, only to feel a small cut on her side, from which a singular drop of blood fell. He stood in front of her, dropped his sword, and deactivated his ability, with his eyes turning back to blue. "Well, that's that. I've won entry into Gerudo Town, and you can't get rid of me now."

She was about to say something in return, but Enneve collapsed the moment he finished talking.

It seemed that she'd finally lost.

Zelda ran over and made sure that Urbosa wasn't badly wounded, while Link and Revali hauled Enneve to the stable as Ima's projection appeared and gave them instructions on what to do.

All Urbosa could do was laugh. "Well, it doesn't look like we'll need to worry about the Yiga anymore."

She could tell the truth of his words from the conviction in his strikes. He would do anything necessary to save Hyrule, and when it was all over, he'd make certain to stay out of the spotlight. After all, both Maz Koshias knew that they could act best behind the scenes.

Or at least, that was their plan.

Urbosa didn't much care for their plan.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Sorry for the upload gap [this would carry more meaning if i didnt say this every chapter ;-;], but I have no intention of cancelling this fic anytime soon. In order to give myself more time to write, I've changed the upload schedule (found in the description), so that way I don't have to make a rushed chapter on Saturday evening, then delete it when I realize how terrible it is. Originally, this chapter was going to encompass both the trip from Gerudo Town to Foothill Stable, AND the ascent up Death Mountain, and that turned out uh...
> 
> bad. It's even worse when you consider how I'd originally planned to introduce Enneve/Ima only S I X chapters later. Thankfully, I think that the storyline is most likely finalized. Hopefully.
> 
> okthanksseeyounextchapterandpleasedonthateennevetoomuch
> 
> (also as im writing outlines for later chapters i realize how unprepared i am to put my cinnamon rolls through all this torture aaA)


	4. Seek What Lies Beyond

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a grueling journey is made easier through the wonders of medieval science.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cw: Depression, fluff, more depression.
> 
> Also, to distinguish between Link's signing and Ima/Enneve speaking out of body, Link's signing is italicized, except for the quotation marks, while Ima/Enneve's projected voices are fully italicized, including quotations.

After setting Enneve down for the night, Ima's projection assured them that he'd be fine, come morning. Eventually, Zelda and her Champions settled down for the night and fell into the embrace of sleep. Urbosa snored fitfully. Zelda slept peacefully with her hands clasped over her chest. Revali curled up into a ball and drifted off slowly. Even Epona and Storm dozed off without a peep, undoubtedly exhausted from trekking across a third of Hyrule in a day.

Link, however, dreamed restlessly of time spent with Mipha and the other Zora. Times when he spoke every day, with not a care in the world nor any expectation of perfection on his shoulders. He dreamed of innocence, and an ideal world where he had a family, and a love that society didn't abhor. A world where there was no need for the Master Sword, for the Champions, even for the Princess and Knight of Legend.

All throughout this dream, there was someone by his side. Even though they were obscured by a thin veil of light, Link felt that they held some great importance in his life. For an instant, the veil shimmered, and the figure spoke in a strangely familiar voice.

_"I really am grateful to have met you, y'know."_

Just as the figure finished speaking, an enormous, seething purple mass materialized behind it. Link reached out desperately to grab it, to save it from the malicious entity that threatened to consume it, but to no avail. Suddenly, Urbosa and Zelda appeared next to Link, but something was off. The Gerudo was severely wounded, covered in small slashes, and with a nasty bruise on her sword arm. But most disturbingly, her perpetual smile was gone, her natural swagger absent. Instead, her expression was one of complete, unfiltered despair, and she too, fell into the purple mass alongside Zelda, too scared to even scream.

Once the malicious entity had finished with Urbosa, it turned to Link. But at the exact moment that Link would have been consumed, Mipha appeared in front of him, spear in a defensive stance. In the instant before she was consumed, she turned around and spoke with tears in her eyes.

_"Please, promise me that you'll find happiness in my stead."_

And then she was gone.

And then everything Link had ever cared about was gone.

Consumed utterly.

* * *

Revali was up before anyone else, as per usual. Rito were able to function on very little sleep, and Revali was certainly no exception. He'd often use the two or three hours when everyone else was asleep to scout around and hunt something for breakfast, but since the stable wasn't exactly dangerous, and there was no need to hunt, he instead perched on of the horse-shaped beacon above the stable's roof. He'd been up there for about an hour when a small blue orb took form in front of him.

" _Hey, hey. What time is it? I've been asleep for-_ "

He sighed deeply. "You've been asleep for a while now. That's what you were going to say, wasn't it? If I'm not mixing up my monks, I'm relatively certain that  _you_  already used that line on us."

Enneve's orb stayed silent for a moment. " _Right. Well, at least someone has a grasp on my situation. So, are you gonna answer the question, or just sit on your perch and condescend?_ "

Revali did his best to glare at the scientist's spirit. "It's about five in the morning. Now, if that's all you had to ask, I'd quite like it if you'd leave me be. I'm trying to enjoy this relative peace while I can."

" _Really? That's it? No questions about who I am or why I'm helping? In almost every scenario I ran, I thought you'd have asked me something about my motive or background._ " Enneve asked.

"As a matter of fact, I have several. However, it'd be far too much of a hassle to go through them again with the rest of Her Majesty's entourage, so I'll hold off until we set out for the day. Now please, go and do whatever it is you do before I shoot a hole in that pretty little orb of yours."

" _Fair enough. Though, this 'orb' is just an intangible manifestation of my soul, so you can't really do-_ "

"Did I ask you to explain? Go away, please."

" _Rude._ " Enn muttered, and faded away.

Judging by the position of the sun, he had another hour or so before his comrades woke up. But just as one annoyance left, another came around, as the mute Knight of Legend had just walked out of the stable's tent in his blue shirt and loose-fitting pajama pants. Seemingly oblivious to the Rito's presence, Link sat down on a tree stump and curled up into a ball. Instead of doing the sensible, decent thing, and asking what was wrong, Revali just stayed up on his perch and directed his attention elsewhere.

That is, until he heard Link sobbing.

He glided down from his perch and tapped Link gently on his back. "Everything alright?"

Link turned around, revealing that he was, in fact, not even remotely alright. He took a moment to regain a fragment of his composure, and signed.  _"It's nothing much, just bad dreams."_

Revali winced, as he knew all too well how painful dreams could be. "Y'know, in my experience, talking about these things helps. Believe me, I've had my fair share of nightmares."

 _"Really, it's fine. I'm fine."_ Link signed, shakily. 

"If I'm being totally honest, you look like a mess, so I'm going to go ahead and say that you aren't fine. Why don't you just start from the top, and I'll try and walk you through it? I promise, I won't tell a soul."

Link paused for a moment, and then nodded, taking a tissue from his pocket and wiping his eyes. He told Revali about his dream, starting from his carefree childhood, and ending with everyone's deaths at the hands of unknown entity. It took him about an hour to get through everything, but Revali sat there the entire time, listening intently and reassuring Link when he needed a moment to compose himself. Eventually, he got through the whole dream, and had already started to look better.

He wiped his eyes one last time.  _"I_ _can't thank you enough for this. Have you done this before?"_

"Funnily enough, I've always been the one receiving therapy, never the one giving it. After my parents passed, I had vivid nightmares all the time, but the elder always listened to me, and it always helped."

Link nodded again in understanding. " _I_ _know that this may sound odd, but can I ask why you decided to help me? I was under the impression that you weren't exactly a fan."_

Revali took a moment to consider. "Fan or not, everyone deserves help when they need it. The elder once told me that fake tears hurt others, but a fake smile only hurts yourself. Besides, you wouldn't be able to do your job well if you're feeling a mess, no? Now go on and get ready, I have a strange feeling that a certain Gerudo will be waking up soon enough."

Link laughed before getting up to change and get ready for the journey ahead. Just as Link entered the tent, Enneve came out, dressed in a pristine lab coat and with immaculately styled hair that accentuated his wardrobe. Revali could clearly tell it was Enneve due to a red orb trailing him. For some reason, Ima was associated with an intense shade of red, while Enneve's color was a lighter shade of blue-green.

Instead of addressing Revali, Enneve just waved and walked past him, dropping a small, glowing stone on the ground, before disappearing entirely. Ima's orb, however, stayed behind. 

_"Morning. You'll have to excuse Enn, he's just clearing the path we'll be walking along. It should only take ten or fifteen minutes."_

Revali turned to face Ima. "Won't he just exhaust himself again? If I recall, he could only maintain his accelerated state for a matter of seconds before collapsing."

_"It'll be fine. Probably. Don't worry about it. By the way, did I wake you last night?"_

He arched an eyebrow. "What did you do that could have woken me?"

_"Oh, nothing much. I just used Enn's body to scout the ideal route for us to take to Goron City. Death Mountain can be problematic if you don't prepare adequately, after all."_

He sighed. "Right. Well, let's hope that our little voyage ends up being successful and quick. I don't much care for the heat."

* * *

Some twenty minutes later, Enneve appeared back at the stable, materializing at the location of the stone he'd dropped earlier, and the rest of the Champions were just about ready to go. Urbosa was the last to get up, being a surprisingly heavy sleeper for all of her energy during the day. She eventually managed to get up and moving, after several failed attempts to wake her. Only Zelda's threats to essentially waterboard her were successful in rousing the Gerudo.

Meanwhile, Enneve and Ima seemed to be arguing over something behind the stable, and Zelda was negotiating a fair price to take care of Epona and Storm while they climbed Death Mountain. Once everyone had gotten their affairs in order, Zelda gave everyone a small vial of translucent liquid.

"The moment you see lava, drink the contents of your vial. It's a significantly more potent heat resistance potion, that  _should_  provide total immunity to Death Mountain's ridiculous temperature."

Each of the Champions pocketed a vial, and they started on their way up the mountain. Enneve took this opportunity to explain their route, turning to face the group while walking backwards.

"So, I've already taken care of the Igneo Talus that was blocking our path up the volcano, so it should be smooth sailing. However, it's better to be safe, especially when it comes to magma golems. Each of you should take one of these," He said, grabbing a small bag from inside his lab coat. Within the bag were ten perfectly spherical stones with glowing, intricate runes.

"I'm not going to demonstrate right now, but trust me when I say that when these stones are thrown, they detonate with the force of a small explosive. Not enough to damage the mountain, or cause an eruption, but it should do the trick when faced with smaller taluses."

Before he gave his companions their rune bombs, walking backwards proved to be a terrible idea, as he tripped on a stray piece of volcanic rock. In the instant before he hit the ground, he tossed the bag to Urbosa, who caught it with ease.

She gave him an incredulous look. "What would have happened if I didn't catch this?"

"Oh, nothing major. I mean, I'd be  _super_  dead within a second or two, but you'd have all been fine." 

Urbosa briefly looked upwards with a desperate expression, as if to ask the goddesses  _'Why him?_ _'_ before doing Enneve's job for him and giving everyone two rune bombs. She took the last two for herself and then tossed the empty bag back to the Sheikah, who stuffed it into one of his many pockets.

As he got up, he groaned as he noticed that his precious coat was stained an ugly shade of black where it had touched the ground.

"Erskine is going to  _kill_ me when he sees this. That's how I'm going to die."

Zelda perked at the mention of the royal tailor. Erskine Nai had been personally chosen by her father for his remarkable talent. He was able to make simply wonderful clothes that could withstand almost anything. All of the Champions, except for Revali, were wearing clothes sewn by the tailor using a special type of enchanted thread which made them completely flame retardant and tear resistant. Purportedly, clothes made with that thread never wrinkled either, but Zelda could neither confirm nor deny this, having never done her own laundry, being a princess and all.

She cleared her throat. "How exactly is Erskine going to see that? Last I recall, his workshop is located within the castle walls, and he serves the royal family exclusively. Unless you know him personally, you shouldn't even know his name, much less his profession."

Enn was going to say something, but Ima spoke before he could.  _"Let's walk and talk. You can ask us anything you please, and we'll answer honestly. But we_ do  _need to get to Goron City and then down again in one day."_

She smirked at the scientist. "Fair enough, let's walk then. Preferably not backwards this time, yes?" 

Once they had resumed their ascent, Enn spoke up. "Now, I know that Ima said you could ask  _anything_ , but that," He glared at Ima's orb. "Is patently false. Anything about my childhood is strictly off-limits. No exceptions. Understood?"

Revali gave a shrug. "Fine, nothing about your definetely-not-abnormal childhood."

The glare shifted to the Rito. "Entirely uncalled for. I'd advise against any more snide remarks, or I fear I might lose my temper again."

Eager to avoid another internal conflict, Zelda interrupted their death-stare contest. "I've got one that's been bothering me since last night. Unless my ears have been repeatedly deceiving me, your partner shares a name, gender, voice, and race with the current Grand Artificer. Is that just a series of coincidences, or is this Ima the same one I know?"

Ima's orb glowed brightly.  _"Well, it certainly took you long enough to ask. Enn, may I?"_

"Yes, that's probably the best way to explain it. Now watch carefully." Enneve stopped dead in his tracks. Then, Ima's orb changed color from a deep crimson to a pale blue.

Now it was Ima's voice coming from Enn's body. "Y'see, since we share a soul, we're able to trade bodies at will. However, instead of Enn going to my decrepit, old husk, he can maintain a projected form."

Urbosa cut in. "No, that shouldn't be possible. Separation of the body, mind, and soul has ended in total failure every time it's been attempted. Even then, if you were to somehow make it viable, there's no way that could ever take as short a time as you made it."

Enn's orb projected a yawn into the group's mind, much like how Ima was able to speak to them in that state.  _"Sure, after hundreds of years of research and attempts, it seems like it'll never work. But Ima's body has been preserved in meditation since the last Calamity. She's had just about 10,000 years worth of practice."_

Ima looked slightly embarrased. "Don't phrase it like that. It only took me about 6,000 to separate my mind from my body, and another 2,000 for the soul. Even so, it took much longer than I'd have liked it to."

Zelda wasn't so much as fazed. "You're avoiding the question. Are you or are you not the Grand Artificer?" 

"I already answered that. For the past several years, I've served the court in that position while Enn's mind and soul were off scouting the lands and making sure that none of you died prematurely. If something concerning was starting up, I'd take a week away from the castle to 'Investigate and research the Sheikah Towers' in some region or another. Our interference is why the Yiga were forced to relocate to the desert. Come to think of it, I've taken quite a few weeks off."

Link looked concerned. " _So, you didn't actually research the Divine Beasts or Guardians at all? Not even the Sheikah Towers? Isn't that kind of irresponsible given the situation?_ "

She gave a triumphant laugh. "Oh, hon, I  _made_ the Sheikah Towers. Well, not physically, but I was the engineer behind them. I was also responsible for the Divine Beasts' weapon systems, and the Guardian Stalkers. That's how I managed to get the job, after all. It's pretty easy to become the most prominent researcher in the field of ancient technology when you've made half of it."

The Princess breathed a sigh of relief, her question answered. "Alright, I think I understand how your situation now. It's quite a relief to know that the original engineer behind the Divine Beasts is the one working on their reactivation, even in spite of your... circumstances."

"Well, it's certainly nice to be appreciated. Are there any other questions?"

Urbosa turned to face Enneve's orb. "I've got one. I don't really understand how the whole monk naming business works. Your name is Enneve, but it's also Maz Koshia? Did you get assigned that name when you became a monk, or was it given to you as a reward?"

The orb glowed softly.  _"As it happens, I'm quite knowledgeable when it comes to Sheikah nomenclature*. Historically, monks have had three names, but ever since the abolition of the Sheikah Guard, that has been reduced to two."_

Zelda raised an eyebrow. "Why would monks be affected by the abolition of the guard? I would imagine we'd know if the guard was comprised entirely of monks, given our vast network of intelligence."

_"You'll see why that is once I explain what the three names mean. First, everyone, including members of other races, have given names. These would be names like Revali, Impa, and so on. Next, members of the Guard would have taken names. These were used to hide their identities as monks so that-"_

"Nope," Zelda cut in. "Don't buy it. Our network is the largest, most reliable source of information, run entirely by Hylians and Sheikah who were vetted and confirmed to not be monks, or to have any relations to a monk. This was done to ensure a lack of bias in their reports."

_"And that's exactly why taken names worked so well. Since they had no relation whatsoever to monks, they only knew their names, and not their faces. It was all too easy to invent a person with your taken name. Because of this, every monk was able to serve in the guard without incident, until it was dissolved when King Rhoam came to power."_

Urbosa gave a nod of approval. "That's quite some dedication to the crown they had. I wonder how those monks would feel about our current king..."

Ima chimed in. "Oh, I hate the bastard. Absolutely despise him. Really wish he would just snuff it so that we'd get a competent ruler. I'd wager my old comrades would feel the same if they were here today." Zelda winced at that statement.

_"Well, politics aside, the third name is the most important. We Sheikah have taken to calling it the true name, or the spirit origin. Only certain beings have true names, and as far as my studies could show, these beings are limited to Champions, the Princess and Knight, and Sheikah monks. These true names serve as the basis for reincarnation, as you can see through myself and Ima. Even though we share a soul, and by extension, a true name, we are unique individuals."_

Revali cleared his throat to draw the group's attention. "So what, you mean to tell me that everyone else has no true name? And it doesn't make sense that you two are different people. Your souls are identical, so shouldn't the rest of your personality follow suit?"

_"Souls are, by nature, ever-shifting. If two beings with the same soul came into existence within microseconds of each other, they'd still have different personalities. When it comes to true names, most people just have names that equate to gibberish. Some have names that mean a single action, such as 'Kill', 'Betray', or 'Consume'. Fewer still have names that are entire sentences. I could go on and on for hours, but I digress."_

Link turned so that he faced Enneve's orb. " _If Champions have true names, how did you make certain that Revali, Urbosa and the others were in fact, the correct champions? How would you have dealt with it if they weren't? Assassination?_ "

_"My, my, do you only think in extremes? All I needed to do was perform a soul reading while they were asleep. If, by chance, they had no true name, then Ima would have come in. You see, the Grand Artificer holds a significant position of power on the Hylian Council of Champion Selection. Thankfully enough, all the champions were correct, so everything worked out in the end."_

Zelda gasped sharply. "You mean to tell us that the reason you took up the office of Grand Artificer was solely to make certain the Champion selection process was successful?"

_"Not entirely, but yes, in the position of Grand Artificer, with Ima in control, there would be no suspicion of artificial interference. After all, nobody would be able to connect my being with Ima's. Essentially, everything went as according to plan. The Yiga were crippled, the Champions were selected, and the information pertaining to the Guardians, Towers, and Divine Beasts was perfectly supplanted."_

Ima clapped once. "Well, I think we've just about reached our natural conclusion, seeing as we're almost to Goron City. Before we get there though, I'm going to tell you all about Enn's childhood."

Suddenly, the orb lost Enn's light, only to gain Ima's an instant later.

_"Come now, don't be a bad sport. You know full well that this won't stop me~"_

Enneve dusted off his coat. "We've already discussed this in accordance to the plan. What's your gambit?"

_"Well, in all truth, I just want all of you to be friends. When I was in the order of Monks, I only started becoming friendly with my comrades about a month before the Calamity hit and we were all placed in meditative stasis. After all, any good relationship is built on tru-"_

"You already told Mipha and Daruk everything about us, didn't you?"

_"Wow, aren't I perceptive?"_

"Please don't refer to me in the first person."

 _"Yep, sure, shutting up now."_ Ima's orb disappeared without a trace.

Enneve pinched the bridge of his nose and gave a deep sigh. "Alright, since Ima went  _directly_  against our plan in a way that totally prevents me from salvaging  _any_  trace of privacy, I guess I'll tell you everything about how I was raised. Listen closely, since I'm not going to repeat myself at any stage."

* * *

 

"I was born three months premature, after a 28 week pregnancy. I was on constant life support for the first several months of my life, but through some miracle I managed to pull through. However, by the time I was two years old, I was diagnosed with a number of incurable diseases. In simpler terms, I was given a terminal diagnosis before I had even developed a consciousness. By the time I was four, I was physically incapable of walking. My body had gotten too weak after all the time spent in medical centers.

By the time I was eight, I was told that a tumor was growing in my brain. I was given two years to live. All throughout that year, everyone in the village had come to see me at some point or another. I was no better than a parasite, eating away at precious resources for a life that would be cut short anyways. But for some bizarre reason, they all cared for me; they all told me to keep on fighting. And so I did.

By the time I was thirteen, I had to be put on a ventilator at almost all times of the day. Yet, everyone in Kakariko continued to give me their support. Whenever they came to see me, I would put on a smile, to make them believe that I'd be alright. Even when I was in pre-op, I'd still be cracking jokes to make sure that they  _knew_  I'd be fine. I had six sinus surgeries that year, and the whole village, my whole family, came to visit me before each one. I was terrified each time, but I never let them see it.

By the time I was seventeen, I was dying. There was no way around it. It was that year they decided to prematurely read my soul; to see if I had a true name. You see, if your true name translates to a cohesive sentence, then your aging process stops entirely. Once a name like that is revealed, you have a divine purpose; your life is in the Goddess' hands. They found my name to be Maz Koshia, which translated to 'They who will ensure a future'. Just like that, I stopped aging. Within a year, they had performed the same procedure they had on Ima, and I was cured completely. It was that same year that Ima appeared to me for the first time."

* * *

"And now you understand why I didn't want anyone to know. For seventeen years I did nothing but take, take, take. Sure, I was lucky enough to have the name that I did, but what if I didn't? What if my brief life was spent as a parasite, leeching off the success of my village? Even eleven years later, that's just a thought that I'll never be able to overcome, regardless of how much good I do."

Urbosa was sniffling, and Zelda was wiping her eyes with Link's handkerchief. Revali gave a sound of exasperation. "Come now, it's really not  _that_ much of a sob story. I've certainly heard worse."

It was at that very moment that a bawling Daruk came running out of the entrance to Goron City, tackling Enneve in a bear hug. "Little guy,  _*sniff*_  I'm so  _*sniff*_ " He reared his head with a mighty bellow that must have been audible from Hyrule Castle, "SORRY!"

While the poor scientist was having the life squeezed from him, Daruk noticed Zelda, and any trace of sadness left his face. "Princess! It's so good to see you again!"

He dropped Enneve, who fell flat onto the ground, before rushing towards the princess with the intent to hug. Thankfully, Urbosa stepped in and took the giant's hug for her. "You're not Zelda, but I like your gumption! What's your name?"

Urbosa tried her best to respond, but it came out as a series of garbled expletives.

Daruk let her go. "Oops, sorry about that. Guess I got a bit too eager for my own good..."

The Gerudo waved it away. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. I'm Urbosa, the Gerudo Champion. These two," she said, pointing to the Knight and Rito, "Are Link and Revali. They're also Champions. I guess Ima already told you about Enneve?"

He sniffled again. "Sure did. Poor guy's had it rough. Where'd he go?"

Urbosa pointed to the Sheikah who was giving a thumbs up from his position. Daruk went to help him off the ground, but Enneve jumped up when he heard the Goron approach, fearing another near-death hug.

"Hi, I'm Enneve. Do you have the information Ima requested?"

Daruk took a moment to think before realizing that he was referring to the letter with the Boulder Breaker's blueprints. He gave Enneve the letter, and the Sheikah promptly tucked it away within his lab coat.

"Right. Well, we've about half a day to make it back down the mountain. Shall we?"

Enneve prayed to whichever Goddess was listening that Daruk wasn't as emotional as he seemed.

As it turned out, no Goddess was listening after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wowo that's an emotionally heavy chapter if I've ever seen one.
> 
> All jokes aside, since it's summer and my workload has lessened, I'm going to try and get through all of the Pre-Calamity arc over the next few months.
> 
> alsothanksforallyoursupporteveryreviewigetmakesmyday
> 
> have i run the all lowercase no spaces joke into the ground yet?
> 
> *Nomenclature is the devising or choosing of names in a specific discipline.


	5. This Dark Age

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> cw: Death mentions, ritual suicide, PTSD

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the shorter chapter! I've been trying to get the next couple done, and this was the only way that I could feasibly post something decent this month! [thanks for bearing with me >.>]

_It was almost time. Soon their great and terrible god would be reborn, and the world would rot and wither once more. Everyone knew that it would happen soon enough, but the believers, well, they could_ feel  _it. Where others dreaded and feared the day that the Calamity would besiege Hyrule once more, they welcomed it. They worked to_ hasten _it._

_Somewhere within the deepest recesses of a long-forgotten cavern, there was a pit that supposedly extended down to the very core of the world. Before this pit, fifteen of their most devout believers were assembled. From a seat far above, a man with eyes of the palest blue looked down and spoke._

_"My children, it shan't be long before our Lord is upon us. You have been chosen, by Ganon's divine edict, to fuel the Great Reawakening. In these last moments before joining with our lord's essence, I invite you to gaze upon the abyss before you. Take solace in the fact that you will soon be privy to a darkness infinitely greater and more powerful than that which lies below."_

_One by one, they stepped forward to look at the fate which awaited them. When all fifteen were lined up along the circle, the man with the pale eyes rose from his chair._

_"Now is the time, my children. Fulfill your duty, and join our god! Surrender your whole being to Ganon, so that we may bask in his glory once more!"_

_They each took out a small blade, no longer than a hairbrush, plunged it into their hearts, and threw themselves into the pit. In truth, it didn't reach the world's center, nor was it bottomless. At its bottom, there lay a large pool of Malice. Once their corpses reached this pool, however long that took, they would be consumed, body, mind and soul. If there was an afterlife, they would never reach it._

_It was a sad thing, he conceded. The man with the pale eyes had rather liked that bunch. Not smart enough to realize that all the teachings were just a means to gather tribute, but not stupid enough to be irritating. Then again, in due time, everyone would end up like them, he figured._

_Well, everyone barring the vessel, that is._

* * *

They'd made it back to the stable before anything of consequence could happen. Most of the walk back down had been minor skirmishes with Igneo Pebblits, but Daruk's overwhelming strength and Enn's handy-dandy pocket bombs made quick work of them. Ima still hadn't reappeared, but Enneve didn't seem too bothered. After all, she had forced him to out the one thing he was adamant about keeping secret.

Revali had gone off hunting, and Link was inside the tent, preparing in advance for the next day. Meanwhile, the rest of the Champions were sitting around a fire Urbosa had made. Zelda was the first to speak. 

"Well, what's next? I assume we're heading for Zora's Domain, and then to Hateno Village after that, but then what? Do we head straight for Lanayru?"

Urbosa gave a mighty yawn. "Slow down there, little bird. Let's take things one step at a time. Short though it may be, it's not an easy ride to and through the wetlands. We're heading straight through a Hinox's territory, and then through a heavily fortified Lizalfos camp, and don't even get me started on the Lynels."

Zelda shrugged. "I have every measure of faith in our abilities. Link and Revali alone managed to take down a Hinox, but we've since gained the support of three more able fighters. As for the Lizalfos, they're usually not hostile unless we attack them first."

Enneve looked up from his book to chime in. "Well, the Hinox you're referring to was a Blue Hinox. This one we're going to be dealing with on the morrow is a  _Black_ Hinox."

She shot him an irritated glance. "Difference being?"

"Difference being that this variant is much more hostile, has skin as durable and thick as tempered steel and is completely immune to fire-based weaponry. I'm also quite certain that this particular Hinox has a large supply of explosives."

"Noted," Zelda said, the color rapidly draining from her face.

Daruk bellowed with laughter. "Hylian explosives're like a light breeze to me. Even Death Mountain itself couldn't put a stop to ol' Daruk!"

Urbosa joined in, though her laugh was more like a howl. "Oh Goddess, I  _like_ you. Once this whole Calamity business is over and done with, you and I need to go drinking."

Suddenly, Ima's orb materialized right in front of Zelda, sending the princess toppling off her seat with a surprised yelp. 

_"Well, why wait? Enn can just dash over to Kakariko and come back with enough wine for all of us."_

"Your alcoholism is showing," Enneve said with a sigh. "Welcome back, by the way. You should probably apologize to Zelda."

_"Oh dear. That was supposed to be you falling off your chair. Preferably into the fire pit, but I'd have been happy either way."_

Daruk tried to poke the orb, but his finger just phased through it. Almost instantly, he yanked it back and recoiled in fear. "G-ghost! It's the same ghost from before!"

_"I prefer the term 'Unbound Entity,' thank you very much. And I'm not dead yet either, just like I told you last time. Now run off and grab us some booze, Enn."_

The Sheikah closed his book and snapped to his feet. "For. The. Last. Time. We. Cannot. Fight. While. Hungover. Imagine the headlines: ' _Bumbling Champions too Wasted to Protect Princess, No Survivors.'_ '"

 _"Of course we_ can _fight_. _It'll be an adventure. I also really want to see what a drunk Urbosa looks like."_

"I'm going," Zelda said, from her place on the ground, "To kill the both of you."

* * *

Link emerged from the stable to see Daruk trembling in fear and an unamused Zelda on the ground, while Urbosa was laughing her head off over it all. Amidst the chaos, Enneve was busy arguing with himself again. Herself? Themselves? It was still quite a bit to take in, Link decided.

Having no desire to deal with Zelda's incoming outburst, he quickly slipped behind the tent to check on Epona and Storm. As he approached the area where they were being kept, he noticed a figure in the sky, approaching rapidly. He smiled to himself, figuring that Revali was probably going to end up boasting about his peerless skill and precision.  

Wait.

Why was he smiling? Revali had done nothing but demean Link, and at the best of times, his compliments were barely compliments. So then why couldn't he wipe the stupid grin from his stupid face? There, now he was frowning. Frowning was good. If he was frowning, the prickly pigeon wouldn't come and bother him and he could spoil his horse in peace.

Then Revali landed next to him. "My, my, what's got you so down in the dumps? Did your little princess scold you again? Or did you find yourself incomplete in my absence?"

Link just ignored him and kept walking to the horses. 

Revali grunted and shook his head. "Well, suit yourself. I'd like to say that you can come and eat should you find yourself hungry, but given present company, I guarantee nothing. Enjoy talking to your horse, or whatever," and with that, he walked to the other side of the tent.

Once Link was sure that Revali was out of earshot, he sighed and took an apple from his pouch. As he tossed it to Epona, he spoke with a voice that was hoarse from a lack of use. "Sometimes I think you're the only one who understands me." 

Epona snorted in response.

* * *

Never before had Revali so instantly regretted a decision. As he came to the front of the stable, a scene of complete and utter chaos was laid out in front of him. Urbosa was trying to calm Zelda, who was as pale as a ghost. In front of them, Enneve was splayed on the ground, unconscious, while Ima's projected laughter made the whole situation even more confusing. As for Daruk, he was trying to cook rocks amidst the warzone.

He walked closer to the group. "Do I... Do I even want to ask?"

Daruk looked up from the fire. "Oh, hey little guy. The princess threw a rock at the guy with a ghost. Nice one too, though it was a bit too gamey for my tastes."

"Is he alright? I mean, I can't see any blood," Revali asked, turning to Ima.

She was barely comprehensible, but he could just about make out what she was saying through the laughter. _"He'll be fine. She threw the rock at me but I'm not rockable. I can't be rocked. Enn can be though, and he was. He got rocked in the back of the head."_

Revali shook his head in resignation more than disbelief. "Well, putting that lovely little matter aside for the time being, I've brought food," He said, procuring a few skinned rabbits from his satchel.

Zelda squealed. "What in Hylia's name are those?! Why are they so red? Get them away!"

Ignoring the princess, he strode over to the fire. "These are rabbits. I figured none of you'd really want to see the skinning process, so all I have to do is cook them. I figure it'll be enough for tonight." 

Grabbing a few skewers from one of the other fire pits, he slid one corpse on each, before leaving them to cook. "There's one for each of us since gramps over here doesn't eat meat."

Daruk grinned. "You say that like it's a bad thing. Don't knock Goron rock roast before you've tried it!"

"Hey, where'd Link run off to? It's been a hot minute since I've seen him," Urbosa said, standing up and stretching.

Revali turned to look at the Gerudo. "I saw him out back when I landed. He's feeding the horses or something of the sort. Looked awfully grumpy though."

She gave him a suggestive look. "Since when have you cared about how he feels? If I didn't know any better, I'd swear that you actually have emotions."

Just as Revali was about to say retort with a scathing remark, Enn stirred from his place on the ground. As he looked up, he began to speak. "Oh, hello there. I've bee-"

"I swear to Din, if you say that you've been asleep for a while, I  _will_ shoot you directly in the forehead."

Enn frowned. "No, I was about to say that I've been hit in the back of the head by a rock. On account of being hit in the back of the head. By a rock," He said, turning his head towards Zelda. "Thanks for that, by the way."

"You're welcome." She deadpanned.

Urbosa flicked her on the temple. "Apologize. We're all friends here, and I will not tolerate friendly fire."

"Fine. I'm sorry for lightly throwing a pebble at you," Zelda muttered, rubbing the side of her head.

Daruk helped Enn to his feet. "Apology accepted. By the by, thanks for the food. I don't think I've eaten since yesterday morning. No, wait, I'm pretty sure it was two days ago."

Revali pinched the bridge of his beak. "Ladies and gentlemen, behold Hyrule's finest and set your hearts at ease."

* * *

Link was drawn back to the fire by the smell of roasting meat. Revali and Urbosa were taking the skewers out of the fire, while Enn was getting some plates from inside the stable. For some unknowable reason, he decided to take a seat next to Zelda, who gave him a cold glance in return. "Where have you been? I was almost beginning to worry that you'd abandoned us."

Turning so that she could see his hands, he began to sign. " _Sorry, I went to check on the horses after preparing. Need to make sure they're ready to go tomorrow._ "

She sighed and looked down, avoiding his eyes. "Well, just make sure you're also ready. I don't think tomorrow's journey will be easy by any stretch of the imagination."

He smiled and looked away.

After a few moments, Enneve came along with two plates of plain looking meat. He handed one to Zelda, and the other to Link. "Eat up. We've a troublesome day ahead of us."

Link nodded, and the Sheikah walked away to grab his own dinner. Before he had a chance to dig in, Urbosa came up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Everything alright with you? We've had quite an eventful evening."

He nodded again, and Urbosa gave a thumbs up in response. "Great! But, well," She leaned in to whisper. "I think our dear hunter here might be worried about you."

Just as Link turned around to face her, she walked off with a giggle. He sighed internally. He'd sighed an awful lot tonight, he realized. Then again, it had been quite an arduous day, and the other Champions weren't doing anything to make the evening less tiresome. He sighed once more, externally this time, and resolved to make it his last for today. Finally, he looked at his food and started to eat.

Gradually, the rest of the Champions returned, all with full plates, and began to join in. Revali had convinced Daruk to try some rabbit, but the Goron ended up spitting it out, before running off to get some more rocks to "Cleanse his delicate palette." Unsurprisingly, Urbosa was the first to finish, having wolfed down her food in a minute flat. Zelda and Enneve followed, and as they finished, Daruk had rejoined the group.

Enneve broke the silence. "So... Should we... Make conversation?"

Revali raised an eyebrow. "I don't know, should we? To be honest, I've still got several questions for you."

"No, I mean, as in, well..." He trailed off.

Urbosa laughed. "I think what he's trying to say is that we should just make conversation, down-for-brains. We can leave the questions for the ride tomorrow, alright?"

The following silence was deafening, save for the fading crackle of the fire.

Daruk tried to break the ice. "Well, uh... What's everyone's favorite food? Why don't we start with something like that?"

Zelda nodded. "Alright, that sounds good. Why don't you start, Urbosa?"

She considered for a moment. "Hmm... That's a tough one. We don't really have staple foods in Gerudo Town since we rely on trade for our goods. But... If I had to pick anything, I'd say that I like Durian Tarts the most. They're pretty easy to make, and cheap too. How about you, down-for-brains?"

Revali grunted. "Honestly, I don't know if I should even respond to that third-rate nickname. But, if you must know, I love apple tarts above all else. Especially when they've been dusted with cinnamon and sugar. Do I even need to ask you, Daruk? Is it just going to be your precious Rock Roast?"

"Nah, don't get me wrong, I love me a good roast, but..." He paused for a moment. "I dunno, I tried some kinda shellfish once. Red shell, but the meat was all kinds of rich. I'd give anything to try it again, but with a little volcanic rock as a base."

Zelda's eyes widened. "Lobster? My, you certainly have expensive tastes."

Daruk jumped up. "Yeah! That's it, lobster! I think it was 20 odd years ago when I was on my way back from the castle. How about you, princess?"

She gave a smug grin. "That's easy, Simmered Nuts. I don't think I'd have gotten as far with my studies without good snack food, after all. Best of all, you can eat them at any time and pass them off as a standalone meal if need be. Link, it's your turn now."

He took a second to think, and then started to sign. " _I'm not sure, actually. It used to be pretty much anything with salmon, but I think I've moved past that. If anything, I guess it's probably a good Pepper Steak. But I'm also a fan of mushrooms, so I guess I like mushroom skewers too._ _How about you?_ " He pointed to Enneve.

"Pumpkin Pie. Stuffing pumpkins with meat is heresy of the highest order." Enneve answered in an instant. 

Revali was taken aback with feigned surprise. "Woah there, friend. You sure you don't need more time to think? You've taken your time with just about everything else."

Enn ignored the remark. "Yes, I'm quite sure. Pumpkin Pie reminds me of my old home in Kakariko. I used to eat it before going into operations, even though it'd make the doctors freak about my blood sugar and the like."

Urbosa stood. "Well, that was a start, I suppose. We'd probably best get to sleep now since it's well past sunset."

Revali followed suit. "Agreed. We'd do well to get some rest, with us needing to fell a giant and all."

It didn't take long for the rest to gather their plates and head inside. As Link was about to enter the stable, Revali tapped him on the shoulder. "A word, if you would humor me?"

Link nodded haphazardly and gave his plate to the innkeeper. They returned to the fire pit, where the flames were dancing their last. "About earlier, well... You can trust me to keep it a secret. Just make sure to take care of yourself, alright?"

With that, the Rito headed back inside, leaving Link speechless and confused. Why did he care so much? Revali was abrasive to just about everyone at almost all times, so why was Link an exception. Trying his best to put the thought aside, Link rubbed his eyes and made for the stable's inside.

Between Revali's newfound decency and the impending battles, he knew that one thing was true.

Tomorrow was probably going to suck.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> o/
> 
> Surprisingly, I've actually written things on time (sort of) for once! Most of the pre-Calamity chapters are done, so expect the next one in two(ish) months! My goal is to have them all proofread and ready to go by the end of November so I can set up a consistent release schedule. I'll probably drop a few chapters of my other fic in the interim so *shameless self promotion intensifies*.
> 
> Thanks again for all your support on previous chapters, it really means a lot to me! ;w;
> 
> [also as an aside if you want me to beta for any of your works feel free to shoot me a PM!]


	6. The Seasons, They Turn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alternatively: the chapter where the slow burn starts to heaT UP

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cw: blood, related things

"Heya, little guy, 's time to wake up."

Revali groaned both internally and externally as Daruk prodded him awake. After he got up, he noticed that everyone else was equally thrilled to be up before sunrise. Even the ever-peppy Urbosa looked to be half-dead from fatigue. He walked over to his belongings and slung his bow and quiver over his shoulder before heading out back to freshen up. As he reached the back of the stable, he saw Enneve trying to wash the soot stains out of his otherwise pristine coat.

Though it was unusual to see him in his combat attire, he ignored the monk and kept on walking. Until he noticed the dozens of tattoos running along his arms. Each of them had a distinctly different design; some looked to be tribal while others seemed to spell out entire sentences in runes. However, all of them glowed with a faint blue light that exuded a sort of arcane power.

Pinching the bridge of his beak, Revali changed his course and walked over to Enn. "There's a part of me that just wants to ignore you so that I don't have to care about all your little secrets, but I don't think that telling me what those little tattoos do is too much to ask, no?"

"Why good morning to you too," He looked up from his coat with a sardonic smile. "Isn't the breeze just lovely?"

Revali crossed his arms and did his best to stare the Sheikah down. "As much as I'd love to unconditionally trust everybody I meet, I hate to admit that I'm more than a little bit jaded. Explain those now; no more of this 'I'll explain everything later' business."

Enn stretched and gave a mighty yawn. "Yeah, sure, whatever. But I'd rather wait until we start riding so that I can tell everyone at once. Now, if you'll excuse me..." He got up, slung his coat over his shoulders, and strolled back into the stable.

Rather than doing the sensible thing and following him back inside, Revali just rolled his eyes and went to clean up. Gods, this was going to be a long day.

* * *

She was too tired for this. In a span of less than a week, she'd gone from the castle to Rito Village, to Gerudo Town, to Hyrule Field, where she found out that a member of the Hylian court was actually a monk with two(?) souls. Then, after being ambushed by the Yiga, she'd climbed up and down an active volcano, only to wake up the very next day for a cross-continent trip which involved defeating a bomb-slinging giant and infiltrating a Lizalfos den.

Dear Hylia, she was too tired for this. Even so, she had no choice but to press on. Zora's Domain was their last stop before heading back to the castle one final time, so she couldn't afford to just give up now. Besides, Urbosa wouldn't let her hear the end of it if she stayed behind to catch up on sleep.

Zelda stepped outside the tent to see Daruk and Urbosa arm wrestling while Link checked Storm and Epona out of the stable. She walked over to the dueling Champions only to see Urbosa grunting with supreme effort while Daruk was visibly sweating.

"I... refuse to be... bested by... a Voe!" She spat, gaining the advantage as her opponent's arm started to shake.

Daruk laughed. "It's been a long time... since anyone's come this close to beating ol' Daruk! But I'm the reigning champion... in Goron City for a reason!"

With one final grunt, Daruk mustered all his strength and almost instantly brought Urbosa's arm down flat on the table.

Somewhere behind Zelda, Revali sighed. "That was all very amusing, I assure you. But we're heading out now, so hurry up, you three."

Daruk helped Urbosa up, and they both broke out in thunderous laughter. "Gods, I haven't felt this alive since that Molduga tried to attack Gerudo Town all those years ago! Let's do that again sometime, you glorious old fool," she said, slapping Daruk heartily on the back.

Zelda smiled softly to herself and followed behind them as they traded compliments and issued rematches. Insufferable though she was at times, Urbosa was one of the few things holding the Champions together. Her awful jokes and ever-present laughter never failed to lighten up their otherwise silent travels.

As she approached Link and the horses, he handed her Storm's reins. After nodding in thanks, she hopped into the saddle, and Urbosa followed suit. Then, Enneve walked out of the tent and tapped the palm of his hand. Hundreds of strands of blue light came down from the sky, materializing a strange machine with a chassis made of the same material as the guardians.

Daruk went over to inspect it. "Ooh, what's this thing? Where did it come from?"

Ima's orb manifested next to the Goron. _"This, my friend, is a vehicle of my own design. I've dubbed it the Mas-"_

"It's like a horse, but instead of food it runs on just about whatever you put in the tank. Also, Ima's name for it is stupid and we'd all be better off not hearing it," Enn said as he hopped on the machine.

 _"Come on, it's not_ that _bad."_

Enneve buttoned up his coat. "I'm trying to save you from an awful lot of embarrassment, but if you really want to ridicule yourself, then by all means, go ahead."

Ima huffed. _"As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, this marvel of engineering is called the Master Cycle Zero."_

Zelda snorted. She couldn't help it, really, she did admire Ima's work. But dear _Gods_ , that name was incredibly unfortunate. Behind her, Urbosa was trying and failing to maintain a frown in order to keep her laughter at bay.

Revali, however, had no such tact and was instead pointing at Ima's orb and wheezing. Intermittently, he tried to speak through his laughter, but he never quite succeeded.

With an irritated grunt, Ima's orb disappeared. "Now look what you've done. You made her sulk. Shame on you," Enn deadpanned. He flicked a switch under one of the handles and the vehicle roared to life. "Now then, let's get going. I've got questions to answer and a Hinox to deal with."

* * *

Link got Epona moving at a consistent trot and then cracked his knuckles as he dropped the reins. Despite all the horror stories she spawned, Epona was incredibly kind and obedient to him. Most of the time, she knew how fast Link wanted to go without him needing to do anything. Her breeding might not have been the same as Storm's, but she was every bit the steed that he was, and then some.

Once the others matched his pace, Revali spoke pointedly to Enneve, flying just above the Sheikah. "Now listen here, whatever it is you call yourself, you're going to answer my questions. No more diversions, no more delays, no more-"

He looked up at the Rito. "Gods, enough with your theatrics. We get it, you're prickly and can't trust anyone to save your life. Now, would you remind me exactly what it is you want to know? I'm a genius, not a psychic."

Link could see Revali grinding his beak in frustration. "First off, I want you to explain why you're helping us. Second, I want you to show everyone those tattoos and tell us what they mean. Then, you're going to explain what this 'procedure' you keep mentioning is. I'll see about what I ask next once you tell me what I want to know."

"Fine, but I'm going to do it out of order just to spite you," he said, pulling up his sleeves one at a time to reveal surprisingly toned arms covered in strange markings.

Urbosa whistled from behind Zelda. "Damn, where'd you get those? I know a few Gerudo who'd love something like 'em."

Enneve turned and flashed her a wry grin. "Sorry, but my services aren't really for anyone aside from myself. You see, while Ima's combat style revolves around using many different weapons to throw enemies off balance, I use the closest thing we Sheikah have to good old Hylian magic."

Zelda's eyes widened. "You're a Signan? I thought that discipline died out long ago. If I recall correctly, it had something to do with there being no practical application for the sigils in combat."

"Pfft," Enn waved a hand dismissively and almost lost his balance. "The monks who said that just weren't trying hard enough. You see, I'm something of a pioneer in the field of sigils and runes. For example," he tapped a small marking on his left clavicle. "This one here lets me heal almost any wound in a matter of seconds. It's how I managed to heal myself when you lot first found me. As for the rest of them, well, it'd take much too long to explain."

Link nodded and started to sign to him. " _Could any of us use those? They seem pretty helpful and you_ did _say that you could make them. I don't see why you can't outfit us with a few._ "

He took a moment to consider. "I mean, I could theoretically give you one, but it'd take about three days and you'd be in immense pain the whole time. Even then, there's no real guarantee that it'll work."

Link paled. " _Never mind, I'm good._ "

Enneve nodded in understanding before turning to Daruk, who was jogging alongside Epona. "Sorry, but I seem to have forgotten what I was answering next. Would you care to remind me?"

"Uh, I think it was to do with why you're helping us, but that seems kind of redundant if you ask me. I mean, you've already told us about being the Sheikah champion and all, though I don't really know the politics behind it. 'Sides, we should take all the help we can get," Daruk said, before giving a wide grin.

"You hear that," Enn asked, craning his head to face Revali. "The newest member of our merry band is more in touch with reality than the first. I'm helping you because I'm the Sheikah champion, as chosen by the elder of Kakariko. It's my duty to stop the Calamity by any means necessary."

He turned to face the others again. "As for the procedure, I honestly don't know much aside from it being the reason I can do what Ima does with weapons. You're probably better off asking her whenever she decides to show up again."

Revali flew closer to Enneve. "Fine, I guess that'll do. Now, for my next question-"

"I really hate to cut you off again, but I'm getting kinda sick of being your own personal encyclopedia. I don't think that anyone aside from yourself feels a need to keep interrogating me. If you're so uncomfortable with me that you _still_ refuse to give me an iota of trust or respect, then so be it. You're just going to have to deal with it until Ganon's dead and gone," he finished, rolling up his sleeves and turning away from the Rito.

Link watched in amusement as Revali gaped, trying desperately to find a suitable retort. After what seemed like an eternity, he huffed and flew well out of the group's earshot. Well, most of the group. Link could just barely hear him scream in frustration however far away he was. Smiling to himself, he grabbed Epona's reins once more and spurred her onward. After all, he wouldn't want to keep Mipha waiting.

* * *

After another twenty-odd minutes, they crossed Inogo Bridge, meaning they were officially in Zora territory. They continued down the path, but as they came to a bend in the road, a red barrel came hurtling at Zelda.

In an instant, Daruk was there, encased in his glowing shield. Before any of the others could react, the barrel crashed against the spiritual wall, exploding in a plume of fire and burning shrapnel.

"Princess, get back, NOW!" Daruk shouted, his protective bubble cracked from the sheer force of the detonation.

Zelda wasted no time in dismounting, while Link hurriedly sent Epona and Storm with her as they made a mad dash for cover.

Revali drew his bow and took to the skies, desperately looking for the Hinox in an attempt to shoot its eye out before it could throw another barrel. When he finally found it amidst the trees, it was already grabbing another explosive. But there was another issue: there was a hollow socket where the eye should have been.

Before the giant could take another shot at the retreating princess, Revali sent a fire arrow into the bomb, setting it off in the Hinox's hand. Roaring in anger and pain, it charged down the hill it was standing on, making for the other champions in an enraged frenzy.

Revali dove towards the other champions. "The damn thing's blind and headed this way! Clear out or die trying!"

As Daruk prepared to meet the Hinox's charge with an immovable defense, Ima's orb appeared next to Urbosa. _"He's not lying, I just saw it myself. It's using echolocation to determine our location; that's how it was so accurate with the bomb."_

Urbosa drew her weapons and turned to Enneve. "Alright, what's the plan?"

His eyes widened in surprise. "Why are you asking me? I didn't think it'd be _blind,_ for Din's sake!"

Before she could respond, the Hinox emerged from the foliage with a tremendous roar that resounded through the valley. Instead of doing the sensible thing and moving out of its way, Daruk countered with a battlecry of his own and met the giant in an indescribable display of strength.

Just when it seemed that Daruk would be overwhelmed, Link appeared from behind and slashed twice across the giant's legs. In the instant it was staggered, Revali sent down a hail of arrows, shocking, burning, and freezing the Hinox all at once. Though it cried out in pain, it showed no signs of faltering anytime soon.

Enneve sharply inhaled. "Urbosa, whatever you do, don't use your lightning until I tell you to." A moment later, he disappeared from her side, only to appear just around the bend, carving something into the ground with a shining dagger.

Ima's orb started to glow. _"Alright, here's the plan. You need to hold it off for about two minutes while Enn works on a trap. I'll let you know when he's done, and when he is, you'll need to lure the giant into it. Understood?"_ They all nodded in unison. _"Well, get to it! Daruk won't be able to hold it off forever!"_

Revali continued his assault, pelting the Hinox with a relentless assault of arrows, never giving it even a moment to regain its posture. Link, meanwhile, continued to hack away at the giant's legs, trying to make it ease off of Daruk.

For an instant, the Hinox lost its balance, and Daruk used that moment of vulnerability to push the Hinox back with a triumphant shout. He grabbed his enormous broadsword from his back and brought it down on the giant. Crying out in pain, it fell prone, covering its empty eye socket with one of its hands while it thrashed the other about in vain.

_"Halfway done, just hold out for another minute!"_

Urbosa danced about the Hinox's defenseless body, slashing faster than any ordinary eye could make out. Though the wounds weren't deep, their sheer number was a testament to her overwhelming combat prowess. From above, Revali cried out, "Lightning, now! Put an end to this thing!"

She hesitated for a moment, before continuing to hack away at the giant. "Not yet, down-for-brains. We're following Enn's plan; keep holding this thing back!"

"Screw his plan, kill it now!" Revali shouted, still raining down arrows, though they weren't magical anymore.

Urbosa grunted as the Hinox started to raise itself up. "My lightning couldn't kill this thing as it is now. Ima! What's the E.T.A. on Enn's trap? We can't hold this thing back much longer!"

_"Start leading it around the turn now! I repeat, lead it into the circle around the corner, Enn is done with the sigils!"_

Daruk grunted as his shield started to collapse from the resurgent Hinox's attacks. "You guys, start running! I'll keep it focused on me and lead it to the rest of you! Go, now!"

Link dodged a blow aimed for him and slid under the giant's legs as Urbosa turned the bend. Revali joined the both of them around the corner to see an enormous circle of runes engraved into the path, with Enneve standing just outside of it.

He waved to them. "Quick, get over here! Urbosa, ready your lightning. Link, get ready to do that thing with your sword, and Revali," he pulled a strange-looking arrow out of his coat. "Fire this at it when it looks to be on its last legs. No sooner, do you understand?"

Revali nodded begrudgingly as Daruk turned the corner, Hinox in hot pursuit. After he cleared the circle and the giant stepped into it, Enneve tapped the backs of both his hands, and the runes flared to life.

Suddenly, the Hinox was lifted off the ground and encased in a sphere of magical energy, imprisoning it in such a manner that escape was impossible. "Everyone, now!" Enneve shouted, sweating from the effort of maintaining so many runes at once.

All at once, the champions let loose. Urbosa snapped, sending lightning down on the giant. Instead of dissipating throughout its body, the lightning continuted to lash out at the Hinox, trapped within the sphere. Link sent out wave after wave of light from the Master Sword, each one digging deep into the giant's hide.

As the Hinox began to succumb to its wounds, Revali leaped into the air and fired Enn's arrow. It struck true, piercing the Hinox's heart. But as it connected, the giant's very being began to collapse into itself. Within a matter of seconds, the Hinox was completely gone; sucked through a phantasmal vortex that closed as quickly as it opened.

Once the monster was finally dead, Enneve dismissed the containment spell, sending the lightning into the water in the valley, ending the lives of many an unfortunate fish. "Well," he said, "I don't think that went too terribly."

Then he fell flat on his face.

* * *

Once Zelda made her way back and Urbosa relayed the story to her, they decided to put Enneve's unconscious body on Storm, while the Gerudo would walk the rest of the way. However, the moment Link went over to haul Enneve up, Ima's orb disappeared, and Enn's body got up on its own, eyes shining a vibrant red.

"Oh goodie, I can finally move about a bit. Well then, let's get going. We've still got a Lizalfos den to clear and a princess to enlist."

Urbosa walked over to her. "So how does that work? Do you just tag out when one of you gets tired?"

Ima nodded. "Something like that, yeah. Probably something to do with mental fatigue from exhaustion being relieved when we switch minds and souls. Rather convenient when you think about it."

Revali walked up to her. "Aye, it is. Almost a bit _too_ convenient, don't you think?"

Ima got right in the Rito's face. "For all the trouble that this arrangement puts us through, I'm of the mind that it's not convenient enough. Now shove off and move along, we don't want to be late."

While the others were busy confronting one another or laughing, Zelda looked over at Link. "Thanks for that. Saving me, I mean."

Link's eyes widened. " _It was no problem. It's my job, after all. I'm just glad that you're unharmed._ "

"And I'm glad to be unharmed. Now then, let's get going."

When Link turned away from her and got Epona moving, she allowed herself a sad smile. She really did like him an awful lot, but she had to respect him for who he was, difficult though it may have been for her heart.

Before she could sink into the depths of self-pity, she grabbed Storm's reins and had him match Epona's speed. At the rate they were moving, they'd be in Zora's Domain before sunset.

They went on for another thirty-something minutes, but when they came to the Lizalfos encampment, it was completely deserted. It was probably due to the noise their earlier confrontation had made, she figured, After all, they were among the more intelligent monsters in Hyrule, with a strong drive for self-preservation and a surprising aptitude for military tactics.

So they made their way to Luto's Crossing, where they could finally see Zora's Domain on the horizon. Suddenly, Ima stopped in her tracks. "Oop, looks like he's ready to wake up. Well, if you need me, then just call. Ask him to call me, I mean. I'll probably be running reconnaissance around the desert for Yiga activity. Well, ciao, I guess."

With that, Ima closed her eyes, and when they opened again, they were that ever-shifting shade of blue Enneve seemed to love so dearly. "Ah, afternoon everyone," and with that, he kept on walking.

Though it had happened several times since he'd first shown up, it never failed to bewilder Zelda how easily they were able to trade off control of their body. She wondered how much more useful she could be if she could freely trade her soul between her royal self and a more inconsequential vessel. How much more would she be able to contribute then?

As she was about to spiral, she noticed Revali limping next to her. "Are you quite alright? Were you wounded in that fight?"

He brushed her aside. "Please, it'll take more than a small piece of shrapnel to take me down. I'll deal with it when we can sit down at an inn," and with that, he took flight before she could even offer to aid him.

Before she could call out to him, she realized that they were already on the Great Zora Bridge. As they approached, she noticed that there was a small crowd of younglings, and at the front was none other than Mipha herself. When they came closer to the domain proper, the princess spoke. "Greetings, Princess Zelda Hyrule, as well as to her chosen warriors: Daruk of the Gorons, Urbosa of the Gerudo, Enneve and Ima of the Sheikah, Revali of the Rito and Link of the Hylians. I am Princess Mipha of the Zora. Please, make yourselves at home in our domain."

* * *

Gods, it hurt. When he shot that fire arrow at the second barrel, a piece of wood had embedded itself in Revali's inner thigh. He'd concealed it for long enough, but since the princess had noticed, it'd only be a matter of time before her little pet did too. And the last thing he needed right now was to deal with that irritatingly attractive knight of hers.

Irritatingly attractive, Attractive.

Oh gods, not now, not him. Why him?

Attractive. Link.

Okay, alright, no more of that. Say hello to the nice Zora, Revali. Yes, just like that. Wait for her to greet everyone else and then ask her to heal your wound nicely. Wait, no, why is she going off with Link?

Attractive.

Shut up, Revali. No more of that, we've already been through this, he chided himself. Okay, let's see, which building looks most like an inn... Yes, that's the one, the one on the left hand side. Let's get there quickly and maybe nobody will notice that you're bleeding and oh dear the blood loss was really starting to kick in.

He made his way towards the check-in desk and paid for a room. He was pretty sure that the cloth he'd placed over the wound was soaking up most of the blood, on account of there being no trail of blood behind him. After the nice Zora innkeeper gave him a key, he thanked her and headed over to his room where he sat down on a stool and removed the cloth.

Dear _Nayru_ that was an awful lot of blood. Okay Revali, you're going to remove the shrapnel on the count of three, and then you're going to apply gauze and pressure before you can pass out.

You can do this, Revali. One, two, thre-

* * *

When he came to, he was lying on his bed and Link was tending to his wound. Oh lovely, he'd passed out. Way to go, champ. Before the knight could notice that Revali had come to, he turned around to fish some disinfectant from his pouch.

Oh dear. Link. He craned his neck to see that from the waist down he was-

oh.

Okay Revali, let's recap. You passed out, Link found you and saved your life. Good, that much is good. Your wound is on your inner thigh, it makes medical sense that he removed your pants and undergarments to treat your wound. Now all you have to do is pretend to still be unconscious and NOT get an erection.

Don't do that, he begged himself. Don't think of how you're alone in a room with Link and how he can see your dick. Especially don't think about that last part. DON'T.

Three guesses as to what he thought about.

Okay, alright, we can salvage this. He's still looking in that pouch of his, he can't see me yet. Surely it's not _that_ uncommon for unconscious people to have blood rush to their genitals when there's a wound in that general area. Yes, that's it! Just pretend to be passed out still and you'll be fine and you can pretend that this never happened.

Link turned around before Revali could close his eyes and rest his head. The poor Hylian turned as red as a beet, while the Rito debated the merits of ending his life at that exact moment.

"I swear to Hylia herself, if you tell _anyone_ of this, I _will_ kill you."

Link fumbled about with his hands for a bit before hurriedly signing. " _Yes, I_ , _well, this won't, I can't really..."_ he paused. " _It's big. And very red._ "

Revali groaned. "This is it. I'm not dying to Ganon or any of his minions. I'm dying of embarrassment right here."

Link somehow blushed even deeper and quickly applied disinfectant and gauze, causing Revali to hiss from the pain. Before he fell into unconsciousness once more, he saw Link sign. " _Don't worry, I'll keep it secret. Also, you're..._ " another pause. " _Cute._ "

Before he could even process that bombshell, he slipped into a deep sleep.

Suffice it to say, his dreams were of Link that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pre-calamity chapters are done! i'll be posting one at the end of each month, followed by a one month hiatus once the last chapter of part 1 drops. in other news, i've been working on some concept art for enneve/ima and plan to post it at the end of part 1's epilogue as a little bonus, so look forward to that! please note that I [[[[[MIGHT]]]]] post some chapters early since part 1 (excluding the epilogue) consists of 14 chapters atm and i have all sorts of fun things planned out for part 2! once again, thanks for bearing with me through this process, and i hope you'll continue to enjoy hylian nights! [if you want to interact with me, you can find me on the wonderful r/fanfiction discord server!]


	7. Memory Fades

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Please note: this chapter contains material which might push the lines of the 'T' rating. Read accordingly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cw: blood, death, death mentions
> 
> (this chapter was originally split into two smaller chapters, but as a new year's gift, I decided to compile them into one, E X T R A T H I C C chapter. enjoy!)
> 
> Happy new year, everyone! Here's to a great 2019!

While the other Champions met with King Dorephan and went about themselves, Enneve procured some salmon from one of the Zora vendors. There was a cooking pot ready for use near the back of the Domain, so he sat down and began to prepare the fish, removing the head and internal organs. He never quite understood why, but there was something about cooking that brought him a sense of peace.

Just as he finished gutting the first one, Ima's orb appeared in front of him.  _ "Well, that was certainly a day, wasn't it? I mean, who'd have thought that a Hinox would be able to use echolocation in lieu of sight?" _

He ignored her, setting the finished salmon aside and starting work on the next.

_"Oh, come on, Enn. Are you really still mad at me for telling them about your past? I promise you, it really isn't that big of a deal."_  

"Easy for you to say," he said, still working on the fish. "You weren't the one who was tied down to a bed for seventeen years. Now, what is it you want?"

She huffed. _"This conversation is not over, young man. But you're right, I do want to discuss something more pressing. Namely, what we're going to do next."_  

He shot her a puzzled look. "I thought that was fairly obvious. We head back to the castle, let the king give one of his little speeches, and then I forge the weapons while they waltz from spring to spring in hope of awakening Zelda's latent potential."

_ "Right, that  _ was  _ the plan, but..."  _ she paused.  _ "You felt it too, didn't you? Two days ago, the Yiga must have started their sacrifices. That means we have a month at best." _

Ima was right. He felt Hylia's pain as Ganon started to subvert her influence on the world. At this point, the Yiga had probably decided on a vessel, or a 'Ganon-dorf,' as they called it.

"I hate to say it, but..." he sighed. "You're right. And with no male Gerudo around anymore, that could only mean that they've found another way to channel Ganon through a vessel. So then, what do you suggest?" 

Her orb glowed for a brief moment.  _ "I say that we make the king wait. We head to Hateno tomorrow, make the weapons as fast as we can, set the contingencies in place, and  _ then  _ go back to Hyrule Castle." _

Enneve nodded, putting the last fish aside. "All things considered, I was going to suggest something like that myself. I can probably make all four of the weapons in half a day, provided that we have all the Champions in one place. What are we gonna tell our good old friend Rhoam, though? I very much doubt that he'll be happy to hear that we've been delayed by an hour, much less a whole day."

_ "You let me worry about that. After all, I know how to string that old fool along like a fiddle. Anyhow, that's all I really wanted to say, so I'll go and see if I can figure out what the Yiga are up to. If something goes wrong, I'll come back. But please,"  _ she sighed.  _ "Try to stay out of trouble?" _

After taking some herbs from his satchel, he gave her another confused glance. "Yes, mother. I mean, I'm such a troublemaker, the little rascal I am."

_"Dear Gods, I really hate myself sometimes. Which means I hate you, in case-"_  

"Yes, I got your meaning. Now shoo, I'm trying to make dinner and I don't want to burn the salmon." 

With no more than a sigh, she vanished. Now then, he needed to fillet the salmon and properly debone it, and then he could start with the marinade. 

"Ah, excuse me, but-"

He'd bought some rather high quality ginger at that stable, not to mention all the wonderful saffina that he found during his little expedition through Hyrule. But would the ginger overpower the saffina? Or vice versa? 

"Hello?"

That's it! He'd crush the ginger and use it as a base, alongside some filler herbs, and then purée the saffina alongside some Kakariko pumpkin. But would pumpkin clash with the flavor of the salmon?

"Are you Enneve?"

Hearing his name, he turned to see Mipha herself standing behind him, an envelope in hand. "I believe that your friend, Ima, requested this. It's for the Lightscale Trident."

"Oh dear, I'm sorry, I was miles away. Yes, I'm Enneve. I'll be needing that, but you can hold on to it for the time being. Or give it to Zelda, whichever is more convenient. I'm not bothered either way, to be frank."

She nodded. "Alright. Might I ask what it is you're doing? I've known travelers to come from all parts of Hyrule to see the Domain for almost any reason you could care to name, but I never thought I'd see the day where someone came here just to cook."

"Well, princess," he laughed. "I just find cooking relaxing, that's all. I've not had the chance to just sit down and make a meal for a small while now, so that's why I'm over here, while my comrades are off doing... Whatever it is they do." 

"Ah, I see. I was under the impression you were a scientist, not a chef. Your friend told me that you were a 'good-for-nothing apprentice who lives for his passions and little else.' Mind you, I _did_ think she was being a bit harsh at the time," Mipha confessed. 

Enneve sighed deeply. "Yeah, that's Ima for you. I mean, cooking is a rather exact science in nature. If you waver even slightly from the balance of flavors, you run the risk of ruining your dish before you even have the chance to burn it. But I digress."

She looked around. "Might I ask where Ima is? I was under the impression she'd be with you."

"Sorry," he shrugged. "You just missed her. She's gone off to run reconnaissance on the Yiga in the desert. Is there something you wanted to talk with her about?"

Mipha opened her mouth, then paused. "Well, as you might've noticed on your way in, we have a small monster problem."

"D'you mean the Hinox? Because that thing's dead as a doorknob now."

"No, that giant is largely passive," she replied, slightly startled. "But thanks are in order for getting rid of him. Regardless, we've recently had a Lynel take residence in the cliffs above the Domain, and it's since driven the Lizalfos out of their dens. That, in and of itself isn't a problem, but..." 

"The Lynel has been disrupting patrols around the Domain, hasn't it?" Enneve finished.

Mipha nodded again. "Yes, I'm afraid. We've tried on several occasions to drive it out, but it's rather difficult for us Zora to fight against a beast with lightning arrows. I'm worried that sooner or later, one of the young ones will try to be a hero, and end up dead because of it. Our morale is already at an all time low, and a tragedy like that would send my people into a downward spiral."

Enneve's eyes widened. "Perchance, would that waterfall there be the quickest way to get to the Lynel?" he said, pointing to an enormous waterfall to the east of the Domain. 

"Yes, but I don't see how..." Mipha turned to see a male Zora, probably no older than she was, swimming upstream, spear tied to his back. "Oh, sweet Nayru."

An older-looking female ran up to Mipha and Enneve. "Please, help! That's my boy! He's..." she trailed off, out of breath. She looked directly at the princess, tears in her eyes. "He's just a child. Please, save my boy. I can't lose him too..."

Enneve sighed again. "Make sure the salmon doesn't burn for me, if you'd be so kind," he turned to face the boy's mother. "I swear to you, as the monk Maz Koshia, that your son will come to no harm. Be at peace." 

"No, I'll go," Mipha said, shaking her head. "You wouldn't be able to make it in time, and if he's wounded, then I can..."

The Sheikah bent over and tapped a marking on each of his ankles. "As I just said, you will stay here and make sure that my dinner doesn't burn. I can't have you dying on us just yet, princess. Not to mention how ridiculously overpriced those fish were."

Before she could respond, Enneve ran over to the edge of the Domain, and jumped off. "Oh dear Farore," she muttered, running after the monk. "He's insane." Mipha expected to see the Sheikah flailing about in the freezing waters below, but instead, he was running on the water. Well, to be more precise, the water beneath him froze over wherever he stepped, allowing him to run across the lake with relative ease.

Behind her, Mipha heard the other Zora beginning to panic. Marvelous, the news had started to spread. Steeling herself, she turned around to calm her people, offering up a prayer for the monk's safety before returning to the distraught mother.

* * *

 

Enneve really hadn't thought this through very well. Getting to the waterfall was no big deal, but he couldn't exactly climb it with his frost-step sigils. Cursing himself under his breath, he took out his dagger and started to carve a sigil into the ground. After a few seconds, he pressed his hand against the completed rune, and the earth beneath him shuddered.

Suddenly, a small piece of the ground began to fly upwards, taking the monk with it. Bracing himself for the inevitable whiplash, he faintly recalled Ima's parting words to him.  _ "Try to stay out of trouble?" _

As his ride up the mountain came to a rough halt, he hopped off with a soft chuckle. "Sorry, Ima. Looks like I'm gonna have to break away from our plan just a little bit."

Surveying the scene in front of him, Enneve saw the Lynel about 500 meters away, facing the other direction, sword and bow both sheathed on its back. The Zora youth was hiding behind a rock some 30 meters from the monk, clearly trying to gather his courage for what would have been a hopeless beatdown. Before Enneve could even decide on a course of action, the youth saw him and drew his spear. Oh, now this was just  _ wonderful _ .

Enneve cautiously approached the youth with his arms held out to show he had no weapon. "Don't even think about trying to stop me. I'm gonna kill this thing and avenge my dad! I'll be a hero to the Zora, just like he was!" 

Marvelous, this was getting better and better with every passing second. Not only was the Zora an impulsive teenager, but he was acting out of revenge, and was clearly trained in combat. Enneve cursed his luck once more.

"Hey there," he said, still walking towards the Zora. "My name's Enneve. I'm not here to stop you. If I were in your shoes, I'd probably be doing the same thing, so it'd be nothing short of hypocrisy to make you lay down your weapon and go home."

The youth lowered his spear just a little bit. "Then why are you here? Was it my mom?"

"No, I'm here of my own volition, I assure you," he was three steps away. "You see, I'm a Sheikah monk. I know how to fight these things better than most anyone else," two steps away. "So, being the responsible member of society that I am, I asked myself 'Why don't I give him some pointers on killing a Lynel?'"

One step away.

The Zora raised his spear again. "Well, I appreciate the gesture, but you can back the fuck away from me, whoever you are. I'm killing this Lynel. Not you, not the Champions, just me. ME!"

Enneve's eyes turned from blue to yellow as he activated his ability. In less than a second, he'd disarmed the Zora and put him in a headlock. "Hey, hey, hey! No need to get so vulgar now. Look, I get your desire for revenge, I really do. But unless you want me to knock you unconscious and send you back to the Domain, you're going to stay out of harm's way until the Lynel's dead. Got it?"

"I'm gonna kill you! Let go of me, you bastard!"

He released the headlock. "There, I let you go. See? I don't mean you any harm."

"Shut up! Leave me alone so that I can-"

Enn looked the Zora dead in the eyes. "Listen here. I'm giving you one more chance before I knock you out. I know that you're not thinking straight because of the hate you feel for this thing, but if your father couldn't kill it, then do you honestly think you stand any chance?"

"But I-"

"I've seen these things kill people. If they're just protecting their territory, they do it quickly. An arrow through the head, a quick decapitation. That sort of thing. A painless death."

"For Hylia's sake, just-"

His gaze intensified. "Let me finish."

The Zora acquiesced with a grunt. "Very good. Now, when a Lynel is challenged, they take it personally. They're prideful creatures, you see. So when they kill a challenger, it's never quick. I've never seen someone die like that, personally, but I have a friend - her name's Ima - who has. Do you want to know what they do to challengers?"

After looking away for a moment, the youth nodded. "They cut off the challenger's legs, and then cut out their tongue. That way, they can't get away or cry for help. Then, they just leave them right there, on the ground, until they bleed out. Sometimes it's quick; just a couple minutes. But if the Lynel has a Flameblade, then the wounds are partially cauterized. In that case, it can take an entire day for you to die."

The youth paled.

"Now then, I'll ask you one more time. Please, would you mind either going back to the Domain or just waiting here, behind cover? I really don't want to hurt you, but I'm not beyond a little violence, if needs must."

"Fine," The Zora looked down for a while, and then looked up at Enneve. "I won't fight it. But I'm not leaving here until you kill the Lynel with my father's spear, got it?" 

Enneve laughed in response. "That's a sensible lad. Now then, stay right here and try not to enjoy this too much," he said, picking up the Zora's lance. Instantly, he understood how to best wield the weapon, as well as how durable and aerodynamic it was. If nothing else, Ima's blessing was sure as hell helpful.

He took off his coat, revealing the combat garb indicating his position as a Sheikah monk, although he'd made a few modifications to the outfit. Enneve then took a long piece of cloth and wrapped it around his head, imitating the style of the nameless monk, Sheik.

Brandishing his new weapon, Enneve walked towards the Lynel deliberately, doing his best to mask the sound of his movements. However, these efforts were to no avail, as the beast turned to face him when he was some 100 meters away from it. "Well then, I sincerely hope that I'm as prepared as I think I am."

Exhaling softly, he called out to the monster. "I'm well aware that you can't understand my words, but you know why I'm here, don't you?"

Wasting no time, the Lynel drew its bow and nocked a lightning arrow.

Adopting a stance suited to the spear, he called out once more. "I apologize if this sounds condescending, but I assure you, what I'm about to say is no more than a psychological trigger. I mean, I can't beat anyone in a fair fight, so-"

An arrow crackling with electricity whistled by his head, missing him by mere centimeters.

"Right, I guess that's enough chit chat," his eyes turned yellow once more. "I fight you not as the monk Maz Koshia, but as the Sheikah Enneve," he proclaimed, preparing himself. What he said next would send his brain into overdrive, and by proxy allow him to move faster than the eye could follow. Of course, that would only last as long as his stamina permitted. 

"Come and have a go, if you think you're up to it."

He ran towards the Lynel with supernatural speed, and as it let loose another arrow, he dodged it with the greatest of ease. Lowering himself to the ground, he finally reached his enemy and thrust the spear into the beast's torso. Not giving it even a fraction of a moment's rest, he pushed it deeper into the Lynel, using the lance's hooked tip to firmly lodge it in the monster. 

Figuring he had somewhere around ten seconds of accelerated movement left before he'd collapse, Enneve vaulted onto the Lynel's back, drawing his dagger as he did so. Hurriedly, he began to carve an explosive rune into the monster's flesh. 

Eight seconds left. 

He'd finished the rune and was about to imbue it with magical energy in order to detonate it, but the Lynel managed to buck the Sheikah off with surprising speed. Wasting no time, Enneve got to his feet and went to pull the spear from the monster's chest.

Five seconds.

Mustering all of his strength, he managed to pull the lance out, leaving the Lynel staggering in pain. Then, he jumped back onto the beast before using the tip of the lance to finish his carving.

Two seconds. 

Enneve roared as he embedded the Zora's spear into the Lynel's neck, before vaulting once more off of the beast. Just before his accelerated movement wore off, he tapped the palm of his hand, which detonated the runes he'd just finished.

As quickly as it slowed down, reality returned to its regular speed, and the monk doubled over in exhaustion. Well, that was an improvement over straight-up collapsing and falling into unconsciousness, he supposed.

The Lynel roared in pain as its body was split in half by an incredibly violent explosion, simultaneously struggling in vain to remove the spear from its neck.

Enneve smiled to himself. "Well then, how's that? Turns out, you weren't so much trouble after all, huh?"

Screaming its death knell, the Lynel took a final shot at the monk, desperately trying to wound its killer with the only weapon it had left: a pair of wicked, curved claws.

Noticing just a second too late what was happening, Enneve tried to avoid the blow. And then-

Pain.

Pain arched throughout his entire body as three massive claws raked across his chest, leaving wounds that looked every bit as bad as they felt. In his last moments before falling into unconsciousness, Enneve could've sworn that he saw machinery inside of his wounds.

And then his vision went dark. 

* * *

Mipha's attempts to calm her people were as much in vain as they were short-lived. Before she even had the chance to properly alert the other Champions to the situation at hand, the youth had started to descend the waterfall, carrying someone, with considerable difficulty, on his back. On closer inspection, the youngling was carrying something else with him; a slightly stained, very wet lab coat.

Oh dear.

Pushing through the crowd, she dove into the waters surrounding the Domain, managing to reach the eastern waterfall's bottom just before the youngling did. On his way down, the youth shouted down to Mipha. "Your highness! Oh, thank Nayru!"

As he reached the bottom, the youth laid Enneve's wounded form in front of her. Dear Gods, they were deep.

"He killed the Lynel, but it got him... Oh Hylia, he fought the thing because of me! Because of what I-"

Mipha cut him off. "Please, do not worry. I am certain that he fought of his own free will. Now please, go back to the Domain. Your mother is quite concerned for your well-being." 

After hesitating for a moment, he nodded. "Yeah... I'll go back. But please, make sure that Mr. Enneve is alright. I owe him."

Swiftly after finishing, the Zora dove into the waters below and started on his way back to the Domain proper. Turning now to Enneve, she inspected his wounds. They were egregious, but she'd have no trouble healing them. However, there was something quite unusual about the monk himself. Well, she couldn't quite describe it, but to put it simply...

His blood was blue, and many of his arteries were replaced with strange, circuit-like substitutes.

Before Mipha could look any further, Enneve's body convulsed just once, and the wounded monk coughed up a sizable amount of blood. Putting her curiosity aside, she held her hands over his wounds, and started to mutter an incantation under her breath.

"Oh great Nayru, ancestral guardian of the Zora, grant me your benediction in healing these wounds. Work not with me, but through me, so that I might act as a conduit for your blessings." 

This spell was far from potent, but she didn't want to run the risk of interfering with the monk's strange anatomy. With a soft _whump_ , a wave of turquoise light engulfed Enneve's body. Slowly, his wounds mended, not closing entirely, but becoming significantly less severe than they were a moment prior. 

Once the light had dissipated, Mipha willed the waters to carry the Sheikah alongside her as she swam back to the Domain's entrance. Thankfully, the crowd was too concerned with the youngling's safe return to notice her own re-entry. 

Avoiding the guards, she managed to carry Enneve to the inn, where she hoped to meet up with at least one of the other Champions. Suddenly, there came a loud voice from behind her. "Hail, princess. Care to explain what you're doing with my comrade over there?"

Turning, she saw a wary Urbosa, Zelda standing next to her. "Please forgive my haste, but this man was wounded by a Lynel. I managed to heal some of his wounds, but..."

"Right, follow me. We'll lay him out on one of the beds," Zelda chimed in. "Urbosa, go and gather the others. Please try not to make a fuss, while you're at it. The Domain is in enough chaos as it stands."

Sagging, the Gerudo nodded. "Yes, dear. I do wish that you'd take my concern more seriously, though. She could have been-"

"Time and place, dear aunt," she cut in. "Now don't waste any more time. I'd rather not have to bury one of our number before Ganon's even awakened." 

With one more dejected nod, the Desert Queen ran off.

The Hylian motioned for Mipha to follow her, then ran to her chamber and opened the door. There were two beds, one with a jeweled shield and sword leaning against the frame, and another with assorted papers scattered across the mattress. "Right, put him on that one," she said, pointing at what must have been Urbosa's bed.

After laying the monk down, Mipha held her hands over the monk once more. "I hate to impose, but I must ask for your absolute silence. I need to fully concentrate on healing in order to use my own magic."

Zelda nodded, and Mipha started to mutter another incantation. However, just as she was halfway through, a small, crimson orb appeared above Enneve. Before she could even process what was happening, she heard a shriek, projected directly into her mind.  _ "Oh Gods, what happened?" _

Silence. 

The orb glowed furiously.  _ "Can neither of you speak? For Hylia's sake, why is Enn half-dead? What in the seven hells are those wounds from?" _

"Well, I can't be certain, but based on what Mipha said, as well as the size of the wounds, I can only assume that a Lynel must have laid into him just a bit," Zelda said with a heavy sigh. 

"Yes, he drove off the monster that had taken up residence on the mountains surrounding the Domain, but from what I can gather, it didn't go down without a struggle," Mipha said. "Forgive me, but you're Ima, not so?"

_"That's right, princess. Before you go any further, would you mind healing Enn? So that he doesn't, y'know, die? Internal bleeding is probably a major concern right about now."_  

"Please, ease your concerns. He is stable, all I need to do is close the wounds. But before I do that," she looked right at the orb. "Would you mind explaining why and how his body's been altered?" 

At that moment, the door to the room burst open again, with Urbosa, Daruk, and Link all rushing in. Zelda looked confused. "Where's Revali? Did he go off hunting again?"

Link turned a violent shade of red as he signed. " _ He was wounded. I managed to patch him up, but he's out cold right now. Give him some time to rest. _ "

Still looking quite confused, the Hylian shrugged. "Fine, I suppose we'll just have to fill him in later. Anyhow," she turned to face Ima. "Body alteration? This is the first I've heard anything about this. Has our little scientist been keeping secrets again?" 

After a moment of total silence, Ima sighed.  _ "No. This time, I've been keeping you in the dark about something. Even Enneve doesn't know about this, as far as I'm aware." _

"That's a pity," Urbosa said. "I'd pegged you as the trustworthy type."

_ "Just-"  _ she faltered.  _ "Just give me a moment to explain. Please." _

Another moment of silence.

Zelda pinched the bridge of her nose. "Fine then. You have a minute, starting now." 

 _"Alright then, I'll be brief. Do you remember how I told you that both Enn and I can use any weapon without prior training?"_  

Urbosa nodded. "What of it?" 

_ "Well, that's a result of what you know as the 'Procedure.' I won't go into semantics, but it's a complicated surgery in which the brain of a compatible monk-" _

Daruk cleared his throat. "Whaddya mean by compatible?"

_ "Again, I won't go into details, but let's just say any monk with a proper True Name." _

"What's a-"

_ "No more questions. Anyways, when Enn's True Name was revealed, he underwent the same procedure I did. But, his... Situation-" _

"Birth defects, tumors, that sort of thing?" Zelda asked.

_ "Essentially. Anyways, his body wouldn't have lasted long even with his True Name revealed. He was, for all intents and purposes, a walking corpse. So I improvised." _

Urbosa arched an eyebrow. "Meaning?"

_ "Meaning I had his defective organs altered in addition to his brain. Using Guardian technology, I managed to create proper lungs, functional arteries, a working heart, all those sorts of things. Once all was said and done, just about 40% of him was replaced. So you can see why I'd have preferred to keep it secret, not so?" _

Zelda just shrugged. "Honestly? I couldn't care less about that kind of thing. As long as nothing inside of him is broken-"

_ "Everything inside of him has a healing factor, so it can't be irreversibly damaged." _

"Then I'm perfectly happy to just continue on to our next destination, which is..." she trailed off, waiting for Ima to finish the thought.

_ "Tomorrow we head for Hateno. You'll see why once we get there. And-"  _ Ima paused again.  _ "Thank you." _

From his place on Urbosa's bed, Enneve coughed, before propping himself up on his elbows. "Machinery? I see. That's good then. All things being equal, I mean."

Before he could elaborate, two of the claw wounds reopened, and Mipha rushed over to his side. "Everybody out! I need absolute quiet in order to heal properly!"

The Champions were frozen in place. 

Mipha turned around, anger plastered over her normally serene face. "Well? What are you doing? Out!"

* * *

Link's day had been far too long. By the time that whole thing with Enneve happened, he was too tired to properly give an iota of a damn. Especially after the incident with Revali. Not wanting to dwell on the events of the day too much, he waved goodbye to the other Champions and returned to his chambers, which were delightfully empty.

Not even bothering to change, he collapsed on the bed and let the sweet embrace of sleep claim him.

Once again, he found himself dreaming. This time, there was no destructive force, just an empty field of white, devoid of anything else. With nothing else to do, Link sat down and looked into the endless horizon in front of him.

After what felt like an eternity, a strangely familiar presence manifested by his side. Undoubtedly, it was the same person from his last dream, but this time, Link could make out a few defining colors. There was a deep blue, not unlike the color of the ocean, accents of rose-petal red, and traces of orange and yellow. But beyond that, all Link could make out was the presence.

Well, he didn't so much make it out as he felt it. It was warm, like the Korok Forest, but also fleeting. On some subconscious level, he knew that whoever it was beside him wouldn't be there forever, but Link wanted to stay beside them all the same.

Suddenly, the scenery shifted to the most beautiful sunset he'd ever seen. Both Link and the figure were on top of what appeared to be a large rock formation, and Hyrule Castle was a long way off in the distance. He saw the figure shift. It was probably facing him at this point.

It spoke in a voice that Link knew he'd heard before. "You can't just go and confess something like that, y'know? At the end of the day, I'm me, and you're you. You're this amazing hero that everyone holds dear, and I'm just... Me."

Link wanted so desperately to reassure the figure, but his mouth wouldn't open. The scenery shifted once more, and he was in a dark room. He was submerged in a strange blue liquid, and just above him, he could make out another strangely familiar figure, different from the one before. Once again, it spoke. "You are Hyrule's last hope. My only regret is that I won't be there to guide you in the future..." Link could just about see the figure's arm, or rather, the lack thereof.

The second figure laughed. "That's just like you... Concerned about everyone else to the very end. Don't worry about me, I'm a lost cause. But... Whatever you do... Don't forget... The failsafe... To bring them back."

Bring who back? What failsafe? Where was he?

These were the questions running through Link's mind as his vision turned dark. The last thing he saw before his dream ended was the figure collapsing to the ground.

Collapsing to the ground, dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> o/
> 
> This may end up being the last set of end notes for a while, since I'll have a proper thank-you note in the part I epilogue (but seriously, 2300+ hits and 100 kudos? you guys are too kind to my dumbass hfewufgiul), but I'd just like to let you guys know about my edit schedule. Due to not having nearly as much free time to edit (i've started a new series on tapas that's entirely original called Practical Fantasy [i update it 4 times almost every week as of now]), I'm only going to properly revise the first 2-3 chapters of Hylian Nights around the same time that Part I concludes. 
> 
> Thank you again for all of your (frankly, ridiculous) support and patience!


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